Percy Jackson and the Falling Stars
by Adonai63
Summary: The war with the Titans is finally over. It has been months since the world nearly faced its doom. But now, something is stirring, and Blackjack can feel it in his mane. Adventure-packed, and of course, PERCABETH! Rated T just to be safe.
1. Chapter 1

So, this is my first try. I still don't know if it's any good so please read on and share your thoughts.

**DISCLAIMER:** I am not Rick Riordan, and I don't own Percy Jackson and the Olympians. If I did, I would've claimed Annabeth all to myself. :)

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**Chapter 1: _Sssugar _cubes!**

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Winter was about to come in and it was getting cold.

It has been months since the world almost faced its end.

With the war with the titans over, everything seemed peaceful. It felt... different. We were living normal lives. No more going on quests, hunting monsters, saving the world, being on the verge of death and you know, normal demigod stuff. Somewhere inside me longed for those things (except for being on the verge of death, of course).

Boy, I wish I didn't wish for that.

It was a normal Friday night. Annabeth and I were hanging out. Well, since we were officially going out, _technically_, it was a date.

"_Mortals_", she said with a little pity like they were hopeless, "If they really want _gruesome_, they'd better wait when they die, and see the FIelds of Punishment."

I laughed. We just watched that new movie "The Final Destination". Everytime the spooky music played and someone was about to die, the people shrieked and screamed. I guess it was kinda okay. I've seen way, _way_ horrible stuff than those. Thinking of that made me remember heroes dying in gruesome ways and it made me twitch. Then I thought of the war, and the friends I lost. It made me feel sad. But it was hard to feel bad on a great night. I was here with the love of my life. _Whoa! _Did I just say _love_? _No, no, no_. I mean...

"So," I tried to say calmly. I was trembling. For some reason, I was tensed.

"So," She smiled. She looked absolutely beautiful. It was very bright with all the lights turned on along the street, but it really looked like she was glowing. It made me feel a little fuzzy in the head. My brain started to seize and it felt like time was moving slowly, like Kronos was finally being nice and he froze time as I stared at Annabeth trying to memorize her face.

"Percy?" she asked as she waved her hand in front of me.

"Huh?" I blinked.

She laughed. "Come on, Seaweed Brain."

She put her hand around my waist and embraced me as we walked. I didn't know what to do, but I put my hand around her shoulder because it was the typical boyfriend-girlfriend thing to do. _Was it?_

We walked along 59th street. New York has already recovered from the disaster that the animal stampede caused. Well, at least that's what they thought. The mist covered the monsters appearances, and they probably saw animals going wild and running amok. As for Typhon, they stuck with him being a series of freak storms. The statues, AKA automatons, were scattered all around Manhattan. Some were put back on their pedestals. Others were hacked to pieces. I looked at the people bustling around. Everything was back to normal, like nothing out of the ordinary happened. They didn't even realize the doom they nearly experienced.

Annabeth bumped me, as it dawned on me that she realized I was zoning out. I looked at her, and smiled.

"What now?" she asked.

"You tell me, Wise Girl," I said sarcastically.

She smiled. "Well, my curfew is at 10, so, we still have some time. We can head straight to Central Park."

"Sure, I don't mind," I leaned close to her ear, and whispered, "as long as I'm with you."

She blushed. It's always fun to tease her. Except, of course, when she got her revenge.

She gave me a quick kiss on the cheek and grabbed my arm tightly. The moment felt perfect. We were walking together like nothing else in the world mattered. We would laugh, joke around and argue about stupid stuff. My heart was pumping hard, like something was struggling to come out. It felt like it was about to explode.

"Annabeth," I started, "I was thinking."

"Yeah?"

"Well, you know, we've been through a lot. And we've been dating for quite some time now."

"Mm-hm?" she asked keeping her eyes in front of us.

"What I'm trying to say is... I... I..." my throat felt dry and my heart was racing. I was finally going to tell her how I truly felt, that I love her, when I heard something familiar.

_Clop, clop, clop._ It was getting louder. _Hooves! _I thought. But it wasn't the sound of normal horses clopping. The first thing that I thought of was Grover, but my empathy link with him wasn't tingling so he wasn't near by. And last I heard he's in Indiana. The sound got a little louder. I looked at Annabeth. She was staring intently at me, still waiting for what I was going to say. Then her face shifted. She finally heard it too.

We looked around and saw two figures running toward us across the street. They weren't wearing any shoes, but people didn't stare because they were greasy and looked like homeless children. It was pretty normal. Except that one of them had _hooves!_

As they came nearer I noticed who it was. Gleeson Hedge, one of Grover's satyr protectors. He was dragging along a boy about 10 years old. He had red hair and green eyes. I'm pretty sure I've seen his face before but I couldn't remember who and where. They crossed the street and went straight to us.

"Th-th-thank the gods!" Gleeson said trying to catch his breath.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"We're being chased... monsters... dracaenaes..." he said still breathing heavily.

I looked around and noticed a group of women headed toward us. They haven't noticed us yet, but the smell of three demigods is too strong. We won't be able to hide from them.

"C'mon!" Annabeth said as she dragged us around the corner. We kept running until I saw a dark alley and led them in.

It was a dead end.

"Stay here." I told them,

Annabeth pulled me away from the two and whispered, " What are we going to do?"

"You stay here and guard them," I said with determination. I pointed to the opening of the alley, "I'll stay there and wait. When they come in, we'll surround them."

She stared at me with those piercing stormy-gray eyes of hers. I suddenly thought of the moments when we locked eyes. Like that time when... _Oh great!_ I thought. We were about to be attacked and I was still thinking of other things.

She sighed. "_Fine_," she said in distress as she got her Invisibility Cap out of her pocket and handed it to me. Then I thought of how amazing it was when our magical items were so convenient to carry. We can just take them out or appear suddenly when we needed them. _Wait!_ I thought and I tried to smack myself in the forehead in my mind.

I took her cap and looked at her. She knew what I was thinking. I was waiting for a Good Luck kiss. She smiled wryly. I waited a little more. She leaned in closer, then she shouted in my ear, "_Go!_" and she pushed me. _Great_. I wish I'd die right there so she'd regret that. But I was invulnerable and she was the only one who knew my weak spot.

I put on the cap and suddenly realized, if she wasn't going to give me a kiss, _I could get one_. So I walked back to her, clasped her face and kissed her. When I looked at her she was staring at me with shock. That's when I remembered that I was already invisible and I've surprised her. _Point for me!_

I went to the entrance of the alley and leaned on the wall, waiting. A few moments later I noticed a group of women coming around the corner. At first they looked like a gang of women holding sticks and clubs, but when they got closer I finally saw what they really were. Dracaenaes, with spears and swords. They were probably among the monsters that survived the war and laid low here in New York, hunting for innocent half-bloods. But not in my city. Not on my watch.

I waited as they passed me and entered the alley. It was dark and it was hard to see anything, but they sensed the two half-bloods and satyr on the end.

_"Ssso_, you found another one," said one of the them. It was really weird when they hissed while talking.

"Don't come any closer if you don't want to die," Annabeth said calmly and courageously. _Dam!_ I'm so lucky to have her.

"But you _sssee_ girl, we don't die. You _ssshould've_ left _thessse_ two alone and ran when you had the chance. Now, we _feassst_ on you, too!"

"_It'sss _our lucky day," said another one.

I couldn't wait anymore so I took the cap off and shouted, "No, _it'sss_ not!"

They all turned toward me in shock. "What are you doing here, _Perssseusss!_"

"You _sssee_..." I tried to mimic them but it sounded weird so I stopped, "You tried to mess with my girlfriend. And I can't let you get away with that now, can I?"

Even if it was very dark I'm sure Annabeth blushed. _Another point!_

"You're not-" but before the dracaenae finished I drew out Riptide and started slashing and stabbing. Being invulnerable and stuff, I didn't need to block their attacks. I just hacked and hacked freely. I haven't fought in a battle for some time now and I was battle hungry. It actually felt... wonderful. And it made me feel a little uncomfortable with the thought of that. I was like a maniac. _Was I becoming evil?_

There was about a dozen of them, and now there was only one left.

"We're going to come back for you, _Perssseusss! _We _will_ have our REVENGE!"

She hissed one last time and prepared to lunge at me, but Annabeth stabbed her in the back.

"You're having all the fun," she said as the dracaenae disintegrated in front of her.

I walked straight to her and smoothed her hair. "They made me angry 'cause they threatened _my_ girlfriend. I just made sure they'd regret it."

She shrugged but with a little giggle. She leaned in forward to kiss me. I put my hands around her waist and pulled her closer. She put her hands around my neck as I kissed her deeper. I wasn't ready to let go when I heard a cough. She pushed me back a little catching her breath as I did the same. She smiled and nodded to the direction of the others. I forgot about who we were trying to protect. I turned and walked towards Gleeson with the kid half-hiding behind him.

I bent my knees a little so I was at the kid's level. "So, what's your name?"

He studied me a little and said, "Alex," his voice trembling.

"Hi, Alex," Annabeth said as she stood next to me, "How old are you?"

He stared at Annabeth for a moment before answering, "Ten."

He glanced to my right and his eyes widened. I noticed what he was looking at.

"This is Riptide," I said as I handed him the sword.

He held it and looked at it with delight. The glow of the Celestial Bronze reflected in his green eyes. "_Cool_," I saw him mouth.

He looked back at me and gave back the sword. As I put the cap on Riptide, he asked, " Were those really monsters?"

I nodded.

Annabeth put her hand on his shoulder, "Don't worry. They're gone now."

Gleeson cut in. "But we still need to get him to camp."

"I'll take care of that." I said.

I whistled, and within a few minutes two dark shapes appeared in the night sky. They galloped as they landed to a stop.

_Yo, boss._

"Hey, Blackjack. How are you doing?"

_Same old, same old. So, do you have any sugar cubes?_

I sighed. _Yup. He's still the same old Blackjack._ "Sorry. I didn't bring any. I'll give you some when I see you at camp, 'kay?"

_What? _He cocked is head._ You're not coming?_

"Nope. I called you to bring these two to camp," I pointed at Alex and Gleeson.

Then I noticed Alex staring at them. His eyes widened. "Wow. Are they really-"

"Yup," I said before he could finish. His eyes widened even more (if it was still possible).

"They'll take you to camp," Annabeth said, "You'll be safe there, and they'll train you."

His face changed. "You won't be coming?" Alex asked as he looked at me and Annabeth.

I didn't really know what to say. I was about to tell him that we had school and stuff, and trying to live normal lives. But Annabeth said, "Don't worry. You'll have plenty of friends there. And we'll see each other during summer."

I understood what she was trying to do. Annabeth ran away when she was young. She knew how it felt to live alone until she came across a couple of other demigods. She learned how to fend off monsters with Thalia and Luke when she was 7. They tried to survive on their own before Grover found them and brought them to camp, but then when they were already on the hill, they got surrounded and Thalia took her last stand there. Zeus took pity on her as she died and turned her into a tree. And then we went on that quest to... Oh you get the point.

"And we will be visiting from time to time," I added, "They'll teach you how to fight of monsters there, but when I visit I'll teach you _advanced_ techniques." He made a face which seemed to me like a wicked grin.

"I'll be staying there, too. _And_ we'll have more time to play with cards," Gleeson said. Alex smiled at the thought of that.

_Uh-oh._ I thought. _Cards? 10 years old? He's just like Nico!_

"Uhm. _Mythomagic_?" I asked.

They both stared at me with confusion. "_Huh?_" They asked simultaneously.

"You were talking about cards. There's this boy I know who also once played with cards when he was young. They were called Mythomagic."

They looked at each other and laughed. "We have never heard of that!" Alex said trying to hold his laugh.

"It's probably lame!" Gleeson added in as they continued to laugh.

I stared at the ground beneath them waiting for it to open and swallow these two.

They finally stopped laughing as they brought out packs of cards. I looked at the packs and I noticed them. _You've got to be kidding me!_

"We're talking about Pokemon Trading Card Game!" Alex said gleefully as he raised pieces of cards.

_Talk about lame._ I was about to tell them that when Annabeth coughed. It was getting late and it was almost time for her curfew. We were running out of time. And I was still going to walk her back to her dorm.

"Okay, c'mon guys," I said. "It's getting late, and you still need to get to camp."

Alex put on a smile and with delight, he said, "Okay!"

I led him to Blackjack and tried to introduce him. "This here is-"

"Blackjack." Alex cut in.

I glanced at Annabeth but she just shrugged.

"Uhm. _How_ did you know?" I asked.

"He just told me. Oh, and he's asking for sugar cubes."

I looked at Annabeth as her jaw dropped. An understanding passed between us. There was _no_ way for a demigod or mortal can understand a pegasus unless he had that ability or...

Or he was a child of Poseidon.

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**AN:** So I present you the first chapter of my first fanfic! Please review and comment. It would mean the world to me.

The plot has been set, and I pretty much have thought out the whole story and how it ends. But it will still need some polishing.

Oh, and ideas are very welcome! This being my first try, I would love to get ideas to add, things to correct and change, and of course, if you love it and want me to continue.

Now, press that green button and review! :)


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you all for the PMs and suggestions. And also for the fave adds. And, of course, the reviews.

**DISCLAIMER: **I am not Rick Riordan, and I don't own Percy Jackson and the Olympians. This story would totally rock if he was me. :)

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**Chapter 2: Slow night, So long.**

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**This wasn't part of the plan. Annabeth and I were just out to watch a movie, fool around, take a walk, hang out in Central Park, and uhm... do stuff. Afterwards, I was supposed to walk her back to her dorm. I hated my luck. _Why tonight!_

After a few minutes of arguing, I finally got Annabeth to agree to come with me. We've decided to accompany Alex and Gleeson to camp. She will return to her dorm tomorrow afternoon.

We were soaring hundreds of feet above the ground. It was freezing up here and it was almost midnight. Thankfully, Annabeth had her hands around me. I could feel the warmth of her body as she pressed against my back. It made the coldness go away.

I glanced below us. Alex and Gleeson were on the back of Guido. Alex has passed out. It was good he finally got to rest. I'm sure he's exhausted after all the running.

"You know, he's most likely your brother," Annabeth said.

I shrugged. "That's what we're about to find out."

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We slowly descended as we got nearer to camp. It seemed that they decided to let winter pass over camp this year. No frost covered the chariot track and the strawberry fields, but the cabins were still decorated with lights. Camp looked exactly like how it was supposed to, with the additional cabins of the minor gods. They finally finished renovating camp.

We landed a few feet away from the Big House. The lights were still on inside.

_So, boss. Since you're here at camp, I'll get my sugar cubes, right?_ Blackjack said.

I ruffled his mane. "Sure thing, buddy. I'll see you tomorrow. With the sugar cubes."

He neighed with excitement, and they galloped away. Then I wondered why they didn't fly instead, it was probably easier. Even if I can understand their thoughts, there was no way in Hades can I understand how they think.

I took Alex from Gleeson, and carried him towards the Big House. As I entered, I saw Chiron in his wheelchair, sitting by the fireplace. When he saw me carrying Alex he looked startled and tried to stand up, but he recoiled. His wound hasn't fully recovered yet.

"Is he okay?" he asked.

"He's fine," I answered. "He's sleeping."

He sighed as a sign of relief. "So, I believe we have much to discuss."

I nodded grimly.

Chiron waved at Gleeson. He took Alex from me, and carried him to the guest room. Annabeth and I sat opposite him, as we explained how we came across Alex and Gleeson in New York, running like homeless children, being chased by a gang of dracaenaes. We left the part out why we were together, but I'm sure he didn't need to be told. He already knew.

Chiron stroked his beard like he always did when he was thinking deeply. "It would be best if we talked about this in the morning. For the mean time, you two should rest. I presume your night was, ah, a little intermittent," he said as he raised his eyebrow with a sheepish smile.

_Yup_. He knew alright. I didn't look at Annabeth. I was sure she was turning red like I was.

We left Chiron as he stared intently into the fireplace. Something was bothering him. And why is Mr. D not here?

"I smell something fishy," I said as we walked toward the beach.

"Nah. You're probably smelling yourself," Annabeth said trying not to laugh.

"Ha-ha," I glared at her.

She raised her eyebrow at me. "What?" she asked.

I gave her a wicked grin, then I lifted her bridal-style. I carried her towards the beach as we laughed. When we reached the surf, I noticed someone was standing a few feet away from us. I put her down slowly as she turned to the direction I was looking. _My luck just got worse._

She looked back at me. "I'd better go, Percy."

I didn't want her to go. This was supposed to be _our_ night. I held her hand, and she smiled. I pulled her closer as she leaned in to give me a kiss. She started to walk backwards as I slowly let go of her hand. "Goodnight, Seaweed Brain."

"Will you please stop calling me that?"

She stuck her tongue out, "You know you love it." She winked at me and headed toward her cabin. I watched her for a few seconds, then turned towards the guy fishing along the beach.

He was knee-deep in the surf, wearing his usual Bermuda shorts, beat up cap, and Tommy Bahama shirt. "Hi, Percy," he said without looking.

"Hey, dad. Having any luck?"

He shook his head, then looked at me. "Something is troubling you."

I stared at him for a while then looked down at the sand. "I came across this half-blood earlier, I was wondering if-"

"Yes, I sent him to you," he cut me off.

"Oh," I said shifting my foot in the sand.

"He has no one, Percy. He's been struggling with monsters his whole childhood. I thought that it was time to save him from the trouble."

"Why haven't you claimed him yet?"

He raised his eyebrow. "Wasn't it your wish for us to claim our children when they turn thirteen?"

_Oh, yeah._ It was my stupid idea. I didn't really know what to think. Things were starting to turn against me. "So, you can't claim him then?"

"I might as well do. It's time for him to finally have a family. But I will have to think about it."

I understood that demigods usually had trouble with their parents. A mortal parent, the one who most likely raised the child, and a godly parent, the child not knowing who he or she was. But I didn't get what Poseidon was trying to tell me. It sounded like Alex lived alone his whole life.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

Before he could answer, the water boiled as a sea monster started to appear, struggling against the line of my father's fishing pole. My eyes widened. It was _huge. _It was bigger than the drakon we faced during our battle with the titans. My dad smiled with delight. "Finally, a good catch," he said then he looked back at me, "I'll see you soon, Percy. You should understand that not everyone is lucky as you are." Then he disappeared in the mist along with the monster.

_Yeah, right. I'm lucky? _The night just got ruined. But then I thought of the times that of how close I was to dying and the people I lost that I cared about. Everything eventually went well. Compared to other heroes, I guess I am. But I still have many years ahead of me. So, we'll see if I truly am _lucky._

I walked along the Sound, kicking sand with every step. _Great._ _What am I supposed to do now._ I had another little brother. And this time, he's a demigod. I thought about Tyson, when I first met him and the time when he was finally claimed, how I tried to deny him as my brother and got embarrassed when others teased me. And I thought of how it took losing him for me to finally realize what he really meant to me. I didn't want to go through that again. But this time, it's different. Alex isn't a cyclops.

I sat down on the sand and gazed at the sea, trying to calm myself like it always did, but this time it didn't. The more I stared, the deeper I thought of my dad. I wasn't his only child during the time of the Great Prophecy. So if I died, it would've been about someone else. Probably Nico, or Alex, or who knows how many children the Big Three even have. And they are keeping them hidden.

I thought of how Poseidon claimed me by the time he needed my help. He told me I was his, and now knowing that I wasn't his only demigod son, did he really mean what he said that I am his _favorite_ son?

"_Agh!_", I shouted and swatted some sand. I was having a mental breakdown, and the sight of the sea wasn't calming me down. I decided to think about it in the morning. I ran to my cabin and crashed straight to one of the bunks. I thought my night was _finally _over.

_Think again, Percy._

I dreamt I was floating in mid-air, a few feet above the ground. I looked at the horizon. _Kansas._ I thought. I've never been there and my geography is horrible, but I'm pretty sure where the endless field of wheat and farmland is.

It was a bit windy, but everything was calm and the air was humid. I can hear frogs croaking and the chirping sound of grasshoppers. I looked up at the stars. The night sky was clear, the moon was full, and the stars shined brightly. I can see every constellation I've learned from Annabeth. As I tried to name each constellation, I noticed something was amiss. It was supposed to be there just next to...

Something was suddenly rustling through the wheat field. It was moving fast and was heading towards me. I tried to run, but I couldn't move. I looked down and remembered I was floating in mid-air. _Duh! _I wanted to smack myself in the head when the rustling sound stopped. I looked back to where it was coming from, but there was no movement. The wind died down, and it was silent. The frogs were no longer croaking and the chirping sound of grasshoppers was gone.

I tried to sigh in relief when something jumped out of the field and straight at me.

My dream shifted. I was now lying on the cold floor, staring at the ceiling. It was dark and the feeling made me twitch. I've been here before. As I tried to stand up, I noticed the entrance to the cavern. I looked around and there was the gaping pit behind me, yawning wide and completely black. _Tartarus._

Gray mist creatures were flying in and out of the pit, spirits of the dead, swirling around me and tugging at my clothes. They whispered a little gibberish, but I couldn't understand what they were saying. It sounded more like chatter.

I moved closer to the edge of the pit. I thought of Kronos, but it has only been months. It was nowhere near possible for him to be reforming already. But the presence was different, it wasn't powerful like Kronos. I shuddered as sounds started echoing along the pit, like thousands of people having a rally.

The pit suddenly started to vibrate. "We will have our REVENGE!"

The sound was so loud the whole world would've rumbled. All of a sudden, the spirits started to push me towards the pit. I tried to fight back, but it felt like carrying the weight of the sky again. _I don't want anymore gray stripes along my hair!_

My foot slipped along the edge and I started to fall. I tried to grab the edge, but it was too late. I kept falling for what seemed like forever, laughs echoing all around me. I tried to wake myself up, knowing that it was just a dream, but I couldn't. Then there was a sudden blinding flash.

I woke up with a start. My heart was racing. I was sweating like crazy. The thought of getting licked by Mrs. O'Leary was far better. I started to catch my breath. I was about to feel calm when somebody suddenly spoke.

"Good Morning, Sleepy Head."

My heart started racing again. It felt like I was still falling. _Who the-?_

It was Annabeth. She was sitting on the bunk across mine. She was too busy reading her book on famous classical architecture, written in Ancient Greek, she probably didn't notice I was breathing hard. She looked up then suddenly blushed, and went back to reading.

I raised an eyebrow. I wondered why she would suddenly blush, then I looked down. _I wasn't wearing a shirt!_

I finally found it lying at my foot. I probably removed it when I was having my nightmare. I grabbed it and put it on hastily. I slid my legs out of bed and sat on the edge. I stared at Annabeth. Her hair was shining gold as the sun shone directly at her. She was still reading, but she finally looked up when she realized I was staring at her.

"Hey," she smiled. She giggled a bit and went back to reading. I probably had a stupid look on my face. I wiped my mouth to check if I was drooling. _And yes, I was._

"Hey. So, what are you doing here?"

"Oh, you know. Just checking up on you. Watching you sleep and drool all over your face."

_Yeah, right. Watching me sleep._ I was probably going wild in my bed because of my nightmare, and she didn't even notice. I wanted to tell her about my dream, but she was very beautiful in the sunlight, I got distracted. She finally put her book down as I kept staring at her. "What?" she frowned as she stood up and put her hands on her waist.

"What _what?_"

She rolled her eyes, and then walked towards me. She sat on my lap and wiped my lips. "You still have drool on your mouth."

I wiped my mouth once more to make sure there was no more. She smiled and started to run her hand across my hair. I gently touched her cheek and kissed her. Her lips were so soft. She put her hands around my neck as she kissed me more passionately. I was sweating again as the heat between us was rising. She flinched a bit as I ran my fingers across her back. It probably sent electric shocks along her spine. I started to slowly lie down on my bed as we continued to kiss. My brain was running out of blood and I was unable to think. I didn't know what I would've done next when the conch horn sounded. She pushed herself up against my chest trying to catch her breath. Her hair fell down and tickled my face, which brought me back to reality. She smiled and gave me one more kiss as she got off of me, pulling me up. "Come on. We're going to be late for breakfast."

I stood up as she got a band out of her pocket and pulled her hair into a ponytail. She turned her back against me and started to walk out, but I put my hands around her waist and tickled her belly. I started to kiss her neck as she put a hand on my cheek. I thought she was smiling, but I guess it was more of a frown because of what she did next. _She smacked my forehead!_

"_Ow!_ What did you do that for?" I asked puzzled.

"I_ said,_ we're going to be late," she said as she crossed her arms.

"Ugh," I said in disgust as I turned my head. "_Fine._"

She gave me a quizzical look and went out. I rubbed my forehead a little more. _It really hurt. I'll get my payback later._

I ran after her and held her hand. She smiled at me as she interlaced her fingers into mine.

Everybody else were out of their cabins and were walking toward the pavilion. I noticed a few old-timers. Travis and Connor, with a few of their fellow Hermes cabinmates, were running out of their cabin. _Wait! That's not their cabin!_ It was Ares'. I would've probably told on them, but it was _Ares_. I have this, _still_, on going feud with the god of war. So, I didn't mind them. I just wondered what prank they were trying to pull off this time.

I've decided to finally tell Annabeth about my dream last night when she said, "I have to check on my cabin. I'll see you later." She ran ahead of me and to her cabinmates. I guess it'll have to wait.

I sat on my table. I was still alone, but soon enough when Poseidon claims Alex, I'll have company. The wood nymphs came forward with platters of food. It was the usual. Grapes, apples, strawberries, cheese, fresh bread, and my favorite, barbecue! "Blue Cherry Coke," I said as my cup was filled with blue sparkling liquid.

I went to the fire in the center of the pavilion and scraped a portion of my food. I didn't really know what to pray for, so I just said, "Poseidon."

As I went back to my table, I looked at table twelve. Chiron, Alex, and Gleeson were the only ones there. Mr. D was still nowhere to be seen. Half of me was glad, but half of me was troubled. He was only out of camp when he's needed. And that's on _very _rare occasions.

Annabeth sat with her siblings on table six. Then I saw Clarisse with her fellow muscular Ares' kids on their table. She noticed me looking and did something that surprised me, she just _nodded_. I didn't know how to react so I just nodded back. Ever since the war, we were on good terms. But Clarisse was, well, _Clarisse_. I stared at them a bit longer wondering what they would look like after they find the prank the Hermes cabin pulled on them, _again_.

I wasn't in the mood to eat, so I just gulped a few fruits and took a bite off the barbecue. I looked around a little more. The new cabins already had a couple of campers on their table. The minor gods' children are finally being claimed and accepted here at camp. I thought about Ethan and Luke and all the other unclaimed demigods. They have gone through so much before their dreams were finally realized.

As I continued to take a look at the other tables, I heard some campers gasp and everyone went silent. I gazed on the direction they were staring at, and I finally saw it, too. A new camper just got claimed.

"It is determined," Chiron said as he stood up.

"Hail, Alexander Thompson, Son of the Sea God, Poseidon!"

* * *

**AN:** For the first few chapters, I'm going to focus a bit on character development, acquainting new characters with the original ones. Sorry for the slow plot development. I thought it would be best to deal with the characters now so that focus will be on the plot later.

Also, I'm sorry if you find the characters to be OOC. I tried to adjust their traits to fit with the story. I hope you continue to follow and support the story. I promise that it will be interesting and you won't be disappointed.

Now, it's time for you to press the green button, and react on my thoughts. :)


	3. Chapter 3

Thank you all for the continuous support, and I love the appreciative reviews. This chapter is a bit short.

**DISCLAIME****R:** I am not Rick Riordan, and I don't own Percy Jackson and the Olympians. I'm just a simple guy trying to fit in. Okay, not really. I just wanted to be a little emo. ;)

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**Chapter 3: A sunny day during winter.**

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I sat along the bleachers in the arena. I grabbed one of the hacked dummies that I just finished practicing with, and threw it to the other side as Mrs. O' Leary bounded after it and chewed on its head. I tried to get my thoughts in line on what to do with the situation I'm currently in. Alex is now officially my half-brother. I thought it would be best for Poseidon to keep his promise and claimed Alex when he turns thirteen, I guess my father thinks otherwise.

_

* * *

"Hail, Alexander Thompson, Son of the Sea God, Poseidon!" Chiron shouted as he stomped his foot._

_Alex was still in shock. He looked up at the green hologram of a trident fading above his head as camper bowed in respect._

_Chiron sat back down next to him, and whispered something. Alex's eyes widened as he looked at me. I smiled and signaled him to sit here at my table. He glanced at Gleeson, then ran to me and sat at the opposite end._

_"I can't believe it. You-you're my brother!" he said excitedly, his eyes lit with excitement._

_I didn't know how to react. I've already treated him like a brother when we first met him. Somewhere inside me, I was happy, but at the same time, a little irritated. "I guess I am," I forced a smile._

_We talked for a while, discussing the gods, heroes, mystical creatures, and magical items. I wanted to ask him about his childhood, why he was an orphan, but I was still in disarray to do so._

_When breakfast was over, I left him with Gleeson and headed for the arena. I needed to take my mind off of this._

* * *

Mrs. O' Leary came lumbering back and stuck her tongue out. I gave her a scratch between the ears as I grabbed the bronze shield next to me and threw it across the arena for her to chase. Then out of nowhere, Chiron appeared and trotted towards me. He studied me for a while with his old piercing brown eyes that have seen almost everything there is to see, "Percy, you shouldn't be upset."

"I'm _not!_ I'm just a little-" I started as he stared at me waiting to continue. He knows me too well to know how I felt. "I'm just a little surprised." I lied as I looked down. _Surprised? What was I thinking?_

He raised his eyebrow. "Why will you be surprised if you already knew?" I should've just shut up. He sighed, "Gleeson sensed him weeks ago as he passed by an orphanage."

"Orphanage?"

"Yes. He lived in an orphanage ever since he was a baby. I wanted to discuss the matter with you, but I myself still don't have an idea of what happened."

I thought about what my father told me. _It's time for him to finally have a family._

"Gleeson was able to inform me that he had a strong scent, a little more powerful than regular demigods." Chiron continued.

"Just like me," I muttered.

He nodded. "I intended on seeing him myself, as I have done so with you, to observe him if he is indeed a son of the Big Three. But I was unable to leave. As you may have noticed, Mr. D is away on, uhm, a vacation."

I raised an eyebrow. Mr. D was ordered to stay here at camp by Zeus himself to direct camp for a hundred years as a punishment for fancying with an off-limits wood nymph (and after finding out that he had a gorgeous wife, _what in Hades was he thinking that he even tried to go for that wood nymph!_). I looked down on the floor, waiting for vines to sprout and drag me to Tartarus. Anyway, after the war it was cut in half, so he only now has fifty years. He only left on urgent meetings, and on times when he was _really_ needed. _But on a vacation? _"You're kidding, right?" I said.

He glanced at Mrs. O' Leary, who started to chew another dummy. "Alex was lucky he survived the Great Stirring and the war," he said. _Great. _He just avoided my question. Something _is _up, and he is hiding it from me. "His scent was most likely covered by the orphanage. As for you, your scent was covered by-"

"_Gabe,_" I said in disgust. He was my ex-stepfather. My mom and I lived with him until he was turned into a sculpture for super-ugly neorealism. The thought made me smile mischievously.

"You see, my boy, not everyone is lucky as you are," he sounded just like my father.

I still didn't know what to do. I should be happy I finally have a half-blood for a brother. I mean, it have come across my mind from time to time when I thought about having kids. _Okay, scratch that. _It's just that, it wasn't one of the things I looked forward to. But I guess I couldn't just throw it all at Alex. It wasn't his fault. But something was still bothering me. My dad hid him, knowing he was just out there. I understood he tried to protect him because he did the same for me. Though I still have my doubts, I know he did it out of love.

I sighed, "Where is he?"

He smiled. "He's waiting for you at your cabin."

I went to Mrs. O' Leary and ruffled her fur. As I was about to leave, Chiron called, "Oh, and Percy. Do not judge your father. Know that he's doing everything out of love."

_Did he read my mind?_ He knew me well enough to know how I was feeling and what I was thinking, but still, he can't possibly read my mind. _Right?_

I glanced back at him, then I smiled and nodded.

I headed back to my cabin. I entered the door and saw Alex sitting by the saltwater fountain in the corner. I destroyed the fountain a few years ago, and I haven't noticed until now, that it was there again. My dad must have replaced it. He was playing with the water, trying to make it float in the air and twirl. It took me twelve years to realize what I was capable of doing, and it was just by accident. Here he was, already knowing his abilities. He probably found about it before.

I knocked on the wall. "Hey."

He turned around as the water splashed back into the fountain. "Oh, hey," he said a little downcast.

_Oh, crap_. I remembered Tyson thinking that I was mad after he was claimed as my brother. I hope he didn't think the same way. "You know, there's more things you can do with water," I said.

He gave me a downhearted smile. I still don't know why he was feeling a little down, but I knew how to make him feel better. "C'mon," I waved my hand. "I'll show you something."

I brought him to the beach. The morning breeze was perfect. Even though it was winter, the air was humid. I glanced at Alex, he was smiling as his green eyes sparkled, with no trace of sadness. "_Wow_," he said in amazement.

"Come on," I dragged him along the sand and into the water. I was about to dive in when he stopped. I looked at him and he was a bit trembling. "What's wrong?"

"I-I can't swim," he said as he started to walk backwards.

"You don't need to," I grabbed his hand and pulled him under. He tried to struggle upward, but I pulled his feet. He looked horrified, probably thinking I was going to drown him. Then he finally realized I was breathing underwater. He opened his mouth as bubbles came out.

_Wow. _He thought.

_Amazing, isn't it?_

His eyes widened. _We can talk! Underwater!_

_Yes, we can. _I smiled.

He started to tumble in the water. I spiraled the water around me, and forced a little push towards him as he was knocked back a little. His smile widened a little more. He tried to do the same, but I willed the water and pushed myself a couple of feet deeper. He tried to do the same, but he overdid it. He went down fifty feet.

_This is so cool! _He started to swim back upward. _What else can we do?_

I thought for a second. Then, I whistled. It didn't make any sound, but bubbles went out of my mouth. In seconds, a figure started to appear headed towards us.

_Hey, Rainbow._

_You called, my lord?_

_I wanted you to meet Alex. _I looked at Alex. He froze at the sight of the hippocampus. The tail shimmered with different colors, glowing phosphorescent. He started to swim near it and touched its white mane. Rainbow neighed in delight.

_You can ride him._

_For real?_

I nodded.

He got on the back of Rainbow, then they burst out of the water. I swam up to the surface and went back to the surf. I sat down on the sand, and watched them as Rainbow did some backflips, ollies, and aerials as Alex hung on his back.

"Hey."

I turned around. "Oh, hey, Nico," I raised my fist as he gave it a bump. "Didn't see you during breakfast. Where have you been?"

"I just got back. I've been busy," he said as he sat next to me.

I raised an eyebrow. "Busy with what?"

"Something strange has been happening lately. Monsters are forming groups all around the country, hunting for demigods. We've received reports coming from outside America, same thing happening. Chiron has been sending me out to help protectors."

"That's what happened with us when we were in New York."

"Yeah, I heard. Is that him?" he asked as we watched Rainbow and Alex surf the water.

"Yup. Alex. Ten."

"So, how does it feel to have a little brother?"

I shrugged. "I can't tell for now. Haven't spent more than a day with him. It'll probably be fine. I've had enough experiences with Tyson and you."

"_Me?_"

"Yeah. He's ten and plays cards. _Pokemon._"

"No kidding," he tried to hold his laugh.

"And, at least, he's not trying to kill me," I said with a grin.

He shook his head, smiling. "Well, I better get going," he said as he stood up. "I still need to report to Chiron."

He gave me a tap on the shoulder and went off.

I laid back on the sand and stared at the heavens, the stillness of the sea reflected in the clear blue sky. I was glad they decided to not let it snow here. I inhaled in the humid air, and felt the cold breeze along the shore. Peace surged through my body, blocking all thoughts in my mind. I closed my eyes and took a nap.

* * *

**AN:** Sorry to Percabeth fans. No moments for them in this chapter. But there will be in the next one. :)

And also, sorry for the_ still very slow_ plot development.

If you wish to react with your thoughts or tell me something, review or PM me.


	4. Chapter 4

As usual, I thank you all, readers and reviewers. And as promised in the last chapter, Percabeth!

**DISCLAIMER:** I am not Percy Jackson, and I do not own Rick Riordan and the Olympians. Sorry for being corny. You get the point anyway.

**

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Chapter 4: _Faceprint_ in the sand.**

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I don't know how long I was out. The calmness in the surrounding made we want to stay like that forever, but it was disrupted when sand hit my face. I tried to open my eyes with a hand on my head. The blinding light of the sun was blocking the dark image above me. My eyes focused, and I saw the most amazing person I've ever seen looking down at me. Her long blonde hair fell over her face with grace. Her golden curls shone as the sun reflected its light.

"Hey, Seaweed Brain," she smiled, her teeth gleaming brighter than the sunlight.

I smiled back. Then, commanded a little water to splash her.

"_Gods! Percy!" _Annabeth complained.

I stood up fast and ran along the surf. She has always been the faster runner. She caught up with me with ease, and pinned me down. She locked my hands together like what policemen do when they catch bad guys. She sat down on my back, and pushed my face against the sand.

"Ow. Ow. _Ow_. Okay-okay. You win," I said trying to breath. Even though I was invulnerable, it definitely hurt to get pinned down on the sand. _And getting my face pressed in the sand? I'd rather drop dead._

"Are you sorry?" I noticed the sense of triumph in her voice.

"Yeah. Whatever," I said and she pushed my head harder.

"_Okay! _I'm sorry."

She finally let go of my head. I turned and inclined my body upward a little as she kept sitting on me. "_Gods _Annabeth! Why did you have to do that? It hurt like _River Styx!_"

She rolled her eyes. "You're such a baby."

I glared at her and she glared back at me. Her eyes widened like they were about to pop out. I looked deep into her eyes, as gray as a storm cloud brewing at sea. Then, I sat up and gave her a peck on the lips. She suddenly turned red. "You're blushing," I grinned.

"NO_, _I'm not," she pushed my chest as she stood up and stormed off.

I stood up and chased after her, laughing. "Oh, come on." I put my hands around her waist as she held them. I kissed her neck and held her tight in my arms. "You get annoyed too easily."

"It's not my fault your head is full of kelp," she said a little aggravated.

I fell silent for a while. I inhaled the smell of her hair, like lemon soap. Then I whispered, "But I'm _your_ kelp head."

She turned around and gave me a quick kiss on the lips. As she smiled, butterflies fluttered in my stomach. We sat down along Long Island Sound, and watched Alex and Rainbow do some dolphin tricks.

We joked around, laughing hard and tearing up a bit. "Twinkle, twinkle, little star... Haha..." she continued to laugh. _Star. _I suddenly remembered my dream, and I fell silent. "_Vlacas_," she mumbled shaking her head and laughing. She finally stopped when she noticed me hushed up. "What's wrong?" she asked as I lifted sand in my hand and let it scatter in the breeze.

I pursed my lips. I tried to think if I should tell her about my dream. She was the only one who can probably make something out of it. I sighed and explained it to her. Being in Kansas and something jumping at me. In Tartarus with the strange stirring in the pit. And the missing constellation.

She pondered it in for a while. I watched her as she stared in the horizon, her stormy eyes analyzing everything. She shook her head, "It has just been a few months, Percy. Kronos can't be reforming _yet_. It took him thousands of years to regain his power just for the last war."

"I know. But we still don't have any idea what happened to him. He just disappeared in thin air."

"But you said the presence was different?"

"Well, yeah. But what else can be down there?"

"For one thing, the pit is a prison for monsters who are threats that could lead to the downfall of Olympus. And it is also where monsters regain their primal force before they re-form. The presence you felt must be the thousands of forces that are regenerating."

"That explains why they wanted revenge. The monsters we have faced are all down there."

She nodded. I tried to put it all in. "What if they start another war?" I asked.

"They won't. Monsters need a leader to lead them, and none of the other titans is strong enough to face the Olympians. They won't go to war knowing that it is hopeless. Even if they keep re-forming, their regeneration in Tartarus is excruciatingly painful. The pit is a place of torture, much worse than the River Styx."

I thought about my dip in the River Styx. It was something I never _ever _wanted to experience again. I suppose if the monsters are going through much worse in the pit, they won't risk undergoing it again, and again. Then a thought suddenly hit me. "What if they're not looking to get even with the Olympians? What if they're after me?" I asked.

The thought caught her by surprise. I guess the idea never occurred to her. She pursed her lips. "I-I don't know, Percy."

But she knew anyway, and I knew it, too. I was the one who went to battle against them, not the gods. I defeated Kronos and caused their downfall. They're looking for revenge, and they're going to do everything to get it. It'll take them some time to re-form, but it won't let them forget. I glanced at Annabeth. She looked crushed and tried to look away. I didn't have the strength to tell her. I can't hurt her. We were trying to finally live normal lives. "What do you think of the constellation?" I asked trying to change the topic.

She was silent for a minute, trying to hold everything together for my sake. She was about to answer when we heard an explosion. We left Alex in the Sound with Rainbow, and ran up the hill. As we reached the top, I saw campers gathering at the commons area in the center of the cabins. We started to run to the others, but stopped when the despicable smell reached us. Campers came running out of cabin five as a yellowish green smoke seeped out of their cabin.

"_Stink bomb_," Annabeth said as she squeezed her nose. _Not again._

"_Hermes_," I muttered. I watched the Hermes kids running for their lives as Clarisse barreled out of cabin five, with her siblings right behind her. At first, I thought it was the smog that made the Ares kids look green. Then I realized that the _stink bomb_ wasn't just any stink bomb. Clarisse and her sibling were covered with yellow and green paint. I glanced at Annabeth trying to keep a straight face. But soon enough, we were bursting with laughter.

We managed to regain our composure when the campers chased each other towards the lake. "I better fix this, before they cause any water pollution," she said. She kissed me on the cheek, "I'll see you later, 'kay?" Then she went after the campers.

"What's going on?" I turned around and saw Alex looking puzzled.

"It's nothing. The Hermes' cabin just pulled on another prank on the Ares' cabin," I answered.

"Oh. By the way, I need to change."

I smiled at him. "You're not wet."

He glanced at his clothes, then looked back at me, his eyes widening, "This is SO AWESOME!"

I waved my hand. "Come on. I want to introduce you to someone."

I led him back to our cabin, and to the corner. I scooped up one of the gleaming drachmas lying on the bottom of the fountain. I threw the coin into the mist as it vanished. "Iris, O Goddess of the Rainbow, accept my offering." The mist gleamed.

I looked at Alex. He was mystified. "What's that?"

"I-M."

He raised an eyebrow. "_Instant messaging?_" I remembered my first time seeing Annabeth and Grover I-M-ing. I made the same comment. It felt like a million years ago. So many things have changed.

"_Iris_-messaging," I grinned. He looked confused. I turned back to the mist. "Tyson, forges of the cyclopes." Last I saw him, he was helping out in the repair of Olympus. He told me he'd be spending some time back at the forges. He missed working there.

The mist shimmered and showed an image of a cyclops. He was hammering a sword. His skill was amazing, he only needed one hand to batter the sword. And instead of holding the sword in place, he had a peanut butter sandwich on the other hand, alternately eating the sandwich and forging the sword.

"Tyson!" I yelled.

He looked up, and his enormous eye widened. "PUH TIH!"

I was about to speak, but he held his finger up as he swallowed his peanut butter sandwich. Alex leaned in close to me and whispered, "Who is he?"

I was about to answer when Tyson shouted, "PERCY!" He smiled, his crooked teeth full of brown chunks.

"Hey, big guy. How are you?"

"Great! I have new record. Five hundred swords in one day!" he said overjoyed, clapping his hands.

_Wow. Five hundred in one day? _"That's amazing! How's the palace?"

"Good. We finished the gates. Dad is busy with game room."

My father mentioned the game room during the war. He said it took him six hundred years to finish. I wonder what kind of games he had there. "Anyway, I wanted you to meet Alex." I pulled Alex so he can be seen in Tyson's screen.

"Hi, Alex," he said with a toothy grin, and waved his hand.

"Uhm, hello," he answered.

I knelt next to him. "Tyson, is, well, he's our half-brother."

He was shocked. _Or_ baffled. I wasn't really sure. He glanced back at the screen. He was speechless as he pointed at Tyson. "B-bu-but he's-he's a cyclops."

Tyson nodded happily. "Well, you see, he's also a son of Poseidon," I said.

Alex still didn't know how to react. I turned back to Tyson, "Tyson, meet Alex. Our half-brother." His smile widened. He looked at Alex and said, "I will come visit soon. We will play with toys. And I will bring sword for you." That made Alex smile. I guess it'll be fine when they finally get to know each other. The Iris message beeped.

"Well, I'll see you soon big guy. Tell dad we said 'Hi'," I said as the mist shimmered. Tyson disappeared as he waved his hand.

We went out of the cabin. I was about to let Alex go try some camp activities when we saw Gleeson running. The look on his face was desperation. We chased after him running towards the forest, thinking he was in trouble. As we reached the hill, I finally saw why he was so desperate. _Oh, gods. _Turns out he was going after a wood nymph. As he was about to catch the nymph, she turned into a tree and he slammed into the trunk, and got knocked out. When we reached him, he tried to get up rubbing his head. He looked a little dazed.

"_Nymphs._" he muttered.

I stretched out my hand to help him up. "What were you thinking?! They won't let you catch them, you know."

"Yeah. But it's still worth a shot." I never understood what ran through their minds, chasing nymphs even if they kept getting hurt. Grover once said that they were in-love. _More like_ _in-sane_.

He turned to Alex, "What do yo think of camp?"

He smiled, "It's amazing." He told Gleeson what we've been doing. He was happy. I hated to spoil his day, but he knew it was coming.

I put my hand on his shoulder, "I'd better get going." His smile faded. "Don't worry. I'll come visit from time to time. And we'll be here the whole time next summer. There'll be more activities then." I ruffled his hair. He had the same messy hair that I did, except that it was red. Then what he did surprised me. He gave me a hug. "Uhm, okay." I gave him a tap on the back and pushed him a little. It felt a little awkward, but at the same time, comforting. "I'll see you soon, 'kay?" I smiled.

He nodded, and I left them talking about, what else, _Pokemon_. I passed by the pegasi stable to give Blackjack his sugar cubes, then headed for the Big House.

As I reached the porch, I noticed Nico on the end of the porch playing with his stygian sword, a three-foot long blade made of dark metal that was dipped in the River Styx. And on the other end, Chiron and Annabeth were discussing some blueprints on the pinochle table. They were busy so I went to Nico. "Hey."

"Oh, hey." He twirled his sword, and put it back in its sheath.

"What have you been up to?"

"Oh, you know, just going around. I can shadowtravel pretty much anywhere."

"Why? I mean, it keeps draining your energy, right?"

"Well, yeah. But I'm trying to master shadowtravelling. Soon enough, I'll be able to use it anytime I want," he said with a wicked grin. "Anyway, it's getting ugly out there. The war is over and all, but like what I said a while ago, monsters are starting to gather their own forces everywhere. For some reason, their numbers are increasing. We still don't have any idea what they're up to, but for the mean time they're hunting half-bloods for food. That's what I've been doing, hunting and at the same time doing some investigating. I ran into the hunters once. Thalia said they noticed the same thing, and they've been hunting non-stop."

I tried to sink it all in. If Thalia and her hunters are on full scale hunting, something is definitely going on. I knew this had something to do with my dream, but I didn't want to bring it up. Nico noticed me zoning out. "Hey, you okay?"

"Yeah. I'm just trying to think about it. It's just that, I thought we're finally going to have some peace for a change." _Okay, not really. _But it would be nice to have a normal life for a while.

"Peace isn't exactly what demigods experience normally."

"You sound like you love the idea."

He shrugged, "Maybe. I mean, it's nice and all to finally have a home and just kick back. But it kinda sucks. I've lived most of my life out there, running and trying to survive. Somehow, that's how I like it. And it's boring here, too."

"Whatever. You just haven't found a _girl _yet," I smirked as he glared at me. "There are a few girls at my school that you'd probably be _in _to."

"_Dude!_" he scowled.

"What?" I laughed. He ignored me. "You know, I'm not _that _busy during school days."

"You're just too lazy," he smirked. _Okay, we're even._

"Shut up. Anyway, what I'm saying is, if you wanna hang out, you can just come by anytime."

He smiled, "That'd be nice." We started to talk about some disturbing stuff. So, just imagine that we were two stupid boys talking about non-sense.

We were busy laughing when Chiron and Annabeth came to our end of the porch. I tried to calm down, holding my stomach, "Hey, Chiron." Annabeth looked at me with distaste, with one of her exclusive _how-in-Hades-did-I-get-to-like-a-kelp-head-like-you_. I made a face and stuck my tongue out.

Chiron raised his eyebrow as I brought my attention back to him. Then he started, "Percy, I take it that Mr. di Angelo has informed you of our current predicament."

I nodded. "Very well," he continued, "it is time that we discuss the matter. We have been receiving reports from satyr protectors, that as of late, monsters are gathering. And this is giving the satyrs difficulty taking in demigods. I've been sending out Nico to help out. For now, we are able to limit the casualties. But if this continues, soon enough, we will have our hands full."

I glanced at Annabeth and she nodded. I turned back to Chiron. "We'll help."

He smiled. "It would be troublesome to ask you to run around the country, but most monsters are in Manhattan, the ones that survived the war. I designate the task of aiding in Manhattan to you," he turned to Annabeth, "and Annabeth?"

She looked a little uneasy. I can't blame her. She's got loads of schoolwork, and with the renovation of Olympus still going on, I'm surprised she can still fit me in her schedule. But she nodded anyway.

"Seeing that has been settled, if you'll excuse me, I have some Iris messages to send. Argus will be waiting for you by the road. You may leave anytime you wish."

Nico left us by the porch. He said he was going to check up on the Hephaestus cabin. I wonder what he had made.

I looked up the hill. The guard dragon Peleus was a full-grown dragon now. Time flies by so fast. If I accepted the gift of immortality, I wouldn't be worrying about that. I turned back to Annabeth, the reason I chose otherwise. I smiled. She raised her eyebrow. "What?"

I shook my head. "It's nothing." I stared at her, knowing that I made the right choice. I wouldn't trade her even for something like immortality.

"Where to, my highness?" I said bowing, and waved my hand in a gesture for her to reach for it.

"Your head is full of kelp." I looked up as she rolled her eyes. She played along anyway.

"Very well, carry me to my carriage." I grinned and lifted her bridal-style. We walked up the hill laughing.

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**AN: **Percabeth! I hope you liked it. Anyway, that will be it for now. I'll be busy with a lot of papers for the next few days. I'll try my best to update anyway.

I hope you all continue to follow the story. For the next chapters, I'll be focusing on developing the plot.

If you wish to tell me what you think, please do so. I'd definitely appreciate it.


	5. Chapter 5

Ugh! I can't believe this. I'm supposed to be editing my papers, but instead, here I am updating.

I haven't had any reviews. Too bad. But I did have fave adds and story alert adds. Thank you very much.

**DISCLAIMER: **I disclaim.

**

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Chapter 5: Wii meet an old friend.**

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The meeting was held in the rec room inside the Big House.

I stood up hastily banging the table. "What?!"

"Percy, calm down," Chiron said gently.

"How can I _CALM DOWN_ when you're telling me there's _NOTHING_ we can do!" I shouted at his face. I regretted the moment I did it. Chiron and I have been together for so long. He was like the favorite uncle I never had (I hope Zeus or Hades didn't hear that), and I was like his favorite nephew. But I was so mad, my emotions were stirring inside me. I was out of control and I just burst out with anger.

"Shush, Jacobson," Mr. D hissed. I glared at him. I wanted to strangle him with his very own vines since he was too busy reading his magazine to look up.

Chiron noticed that I was probably about to blurt out something to Mr. D. He shook his head and signaled me to sit. He looked a little hurt, but with sympathy, too. I avoided his gaze. Instead, I studied the looks of the other counselors around the Ping-Pong table. They looked at me the same way. Like I was some crazy freak that they wanted to help, but couldn't do anything. The counselors of the new cabins had the same expressions on their faces, despite we haven't known each other that well, and with the emotions boiling inside me, I didn't even remember their names. Even Clarisse, well, being _Clarisse,_ looked like she felt my pain. Next to me, Malcolm, Annabeth's half-brother and second-in-command, tugged at my shirt to sit down. He took charge of the Athena cabin for the mean time because Annabeth, well, I think we should backtrack to earlier that day.

_

* * *

Smack!_

"Ow! You overdid it this time," I complained.

"A slap is a slap. You better win the next one if you don't want more," Nico smirked.

We were playing Mario Kart Wii. I slap-bet Nico for every race. And now, I wish I could take it back. He has won the last three rounds.

"_Fine._ On to the next one, then."

I was about to turn a corner when the phone rang. I was too busy with the game so I let it pass, then the answering machine beeped.

"_Percy!" _I flinched when I heard the voice. She was coming by this afternoon to hang out with us. We were supposed to go on an all-nighter, and have a three-way all-out race with Mario Kart. Ever since Paul gave me the Wii last Christmas as a gift, we spent all the time playing. She was not angry or anything when she shouted, but what made flinch was that there was fear in her voice as she trembled trying to speak. "_Help!_"

I stood up quickly, and left the wheel beside Nico. I answered the phone. "Annabeth?"

No answer.

"Annabeth!" I shouted, but the call was already cut.

I grabbed Nico by the shoulder and pulled him up. "Come on!"

"What? Why?" he asked confusingly.

"Didn't you hear that?" I pointed to the phone.

"No. I was too busy kicking your butt," he smirked. I wanted to smack him in the back of his head but there were other things to worry about.

"Annabeth's in trouble. Shadow travel to her school, _now,_" I said as I put my arms around his shoulders.

His face turned red. "Uhm, what are you doing?"

"What?" I asked not realizing what he means.

He shrugged my arms off his shoulders. "Your clinging on me."

"Well, _duh!_ I know. So, we can shadow travel."

"I haven't tried it with someone else before."

"Well, let's test it now. It works on Mrs. O'Leary. We've got nothing to lose," I said firmly.

"_Except my dignity_,_" _he muttered. I finally realized why he was blushing. I probably turned red as well, but he didn't notice it because he already had his back turned against me. "You should probably hang on tight," he said a little embarrassed. I hesitated but we had no other choice. We walked towards the corner of the room where the shadow was darkest, then we jumped through.

At first, it felt a little terrifying, and then very exhilarating. In seconds, the surroundings shifted and we appeared on a street. We tried to remain balanced but Nico tripped, and we fell face down on the pavement.

"Ow," he said rubbing his temples.

"At least we didn't hit a wall," I said brushing dirt out of my shirt.

All around us, sirens were wailing. Police cars and firetrucks were scattered on the street. There was an ambulance across the block. In front of us, Trinity High, an all-girls boarding school, was burning down. Smoke seeped out of the windows. People were running in and out of the entrance. Parents dragging their children, teachers accompanying students, policemen helping out, medics taking care of the injured. It was total chaos. We shuffled through the door, squeezing through firemen trying to stop the fire. I could have helped, but we were here for other reasons, namely, Annabeth.

We ran across the halls shouting. "Annabeth!"

We reached a corner and I bumped into someone. "Percy! Thank God!"

"Chelsea, where's Annabeth?" Chelsea was Annabeth's roommate. We got introduced in the strangest way you can imagine. You see, I have an extra set of keys to Annabeth's dorm room, and so, I visited her once, and well, let's get to that _later._

She started talking and making weird choreographies with her hands. "I don't know. We were running down the stairs. There were these big men who were starting the fire. Then there were black wolves running along the walls. And-"

"Chelsea! Focus! Annabeth!" I shouted as I shook her by the shoulders.

"Oh, yeah. Last I saw her, she was running towards the gym. She was being chased by some guy with a black suit."

We left her there, and ran across the halls. We stormed for the gym and burst through the doors.

"Well, well, well, Percy Jackson," the voice sent a chill down my spine. He was just like last I last saw him. And it was only in a dream. He was wearing a black armor with shimmering silver dots like stars. He was holding with one hand around the neck-

I gasped. "Annabeth."

She tried to hold unto the hand as she was being choked. "Percy," she mouthed. Before I could react, they disappeared in a blinding flash of light, leaving a cold laugh echoing inside the gym.

* * *

I didn't sit down. I knew there was nothing we can do, but I can't just sit down.

"Percy, please," Chiron begged. I saw the sadness in his eyes so I listened and sat.

I tried to calm down. "I can't just sit back. Krios is out there holding Annabeth as a captive."

Everyone was silent. Even Mr. D folded his magazine and looked around the table and studied everyone's worried expressions. Chiron finally broke the silence while he shook his head, "We can't risk letting you go without knowing what you're dealing with. We have to wait for Rachel to come back and give you a quest."

"But summer camp's a month away!" I started to lose it again.

"I'm sorry, Percy," he said compassionately.

In my mind, I knew he was right. But my emotions were currently in control over me. I wanted to shout at him that he should stick his _sorry_ in his _sorry_ behind. I gritted my teeth and balled my fists trying to contain my anger. I wanted to punch someone in the face.

"_Fine,_" I stood up and stormed out of the room.

I headed for, you guessed right, the arena. As I got in, I grabbed a javelin and threw it across the arena without looking at a target. And by some sheer luck, it actually hit a dummy right where the heart was supposed to be. It made me smile and clear the thoughts in my mind for a while. But my anger eventually came back. I grabbed Riptide out of my pocket and hacked every dummy in sight. I might have screamed once or twice trying to release all the emotions in me.

I was huffing when Mrs. O'Leary came barging in with Nico right behind her. "She was chasing some poor wood nymph," he grinned.

I was tired and weary, and strung out emotionally, but I couldn't help smiling at the thought of that. Mrs. O'Leary licked me and started chewing the dummies lying on the floor.

"So, how are you doing?"

I glared at him with indignation. "What do you think?"

He shrugged. He unsheathed his sword and twirled it. "Slap-bet. Duel me. Winner gets five slaps," he grinned.

I was exhausted, and I wouldn't probably last a few more rounds. But a thought energized me. _Payback time._ I smirked, "You're so on."

He made the first move. He was pretty swift, and I will never admit it to him, but his sword fighting was amazing. Maybe it was because of the continuous hunting.

Now you might be thinking, _he's all invulnerable and stuff, why not just let Nico keep poking him with his sword_. You see, it doesn't exactly work like that. In a duel, the first to strike the enemy wins, invulnerable or not. So I had to parry all of his attacks, and dodge from right to left. But eventually, with a few feints, I had Riptide right under his throat. He put his hands up in surrender.

I capped Riptide. And went for the bleachers. "You're not gonna slap me?" Nico asked but not really surprised

"Nah. I'm kinda feeling a little better." He smiled like he already knew it was coming. "But you're not of the hook. I'll still get back at you," I grinned. He shrugged and flopped down next to me.

"So, when are you going to leave?" he asked.

I looked at him confused. "What?"

"Come on, Perce. We've been here before. A few years ago, you ran away to save Annabeth. And I'm pretty sure nothing's gonna hold you back to do it again."

I remembered it back then. Nico was there when I ran away and chased Thalia, Grover, Zoe, and Bianca on their quest. And here he was as I think of running away again. It seemed so long ago. So many things have changed. But one thing that didn't, is that I will _always_ come for Annabeth. And without any second thought, I decided, "Now," I said and stood up.

He nodded and stood up, too. "Well, you're not going to leave me behind this time," he smiled.

"You know what, for a Bonehead, I'm actually surprised you can think," I laughed.

"Ha-ha," he glared at me, but he laughed anyway.

"Come on. We're losing time," I said. But before we could move somebody spoke behind us. "No."

We turned and saw Chiron standing on the doorway.

"What?" I asked a little infuriated.

"I mean, no," he said firmly, but smiled, "not without a plan."

_Okay, I admit. I felt like a total idiot._ I asked again. "What?" I was actually surprised Chiron was going on along with this.

"Percy, I've trained you well enough to know your fatal flaw. As far as the years we have known each other, it hasn't done you any harm. I fear one day it would. It isn't called fatal for no reason. But I also know that there will be no stopping you, especially, when it comes to Annabeth." I didn't nod or answer. He knew it. I knew it. Heck, everybody knew it.

He took my silence as a yes. He continued, "Very well, I will aid you on your journey."

I was too stunned to speak. I looked down and shifted my foot. It's not like I think he would drag us down, "Chiron, I-I-" I stuttered.

He chuckled. "You're getting the wrong idea, my boy. Do not worry. I will not join you on your journey. I am merely offering my guidance for you along the way. Anytime you find out something, simply send me an Iris message and we shall discuss it."

I smiled. "Thanks Chiron."

He nodded. "Have you decided who your companions will be?"

I turned to Nico and he nodded. "Yeah. Nico," I said.

"Anyone else?"

I was about to say "No," when I heard a familiar voice behind him. "Me."

Chiron turned around as we looked at the girl walking towards us. Her hair has grown a little longer but still had spikes, with a silver circlet on top that marked her as the first lieutenant of Artemis. She was wearing her usual leather jacket and a black shirt that showed the head of Barbie stuck on the end of a spear. "Thalia!"

She beamed at us. "What are you doing here?" I asked.

"I can't just let you go on a dangerous quest and be all heroic again without me."

"No," I frowned, but I was happy she was here, "I mean, Artemis can't just-"

She cut me off. "I'm on leave. She was hesitant at first to let me, but she knew I'll go anyway, yes or no."

I smiled. "I'm glad you're here."

"So am I. So, what's the plan?"

I was about to tell them we better get moving, but once again, I was cut off. "For the mean time, you should rest and prepare. You can leave in the morning," Chiron said, "now, if you'll excuse me, I have some reports to check." Then he trotted away.

"Hey, Numbskull," she nodded to the direction of Nico.

"Pinecone Face," he smiled smugly.

"So, Thals, how did you know?" I asked.

"The news spread out quickly. I think Athena told Artemis. When I found out, I knew you were planning to do something stupid again, so I went on leave. I have to make sure you don't fail," she smiled.

We took the rest of the afternoon to catch up. And soon, dinner was served.

I sat at my usual table, Nico sat at his, and Thalia sat at the Zeus table. She probably preferred to honor her father than Artemis. Or maybe because she was on leave as a hunter. I don't know.

The other campers arrived a few minutes later. I noticed Alex with some of the campers from Hermes cabin. When he finally saw me, he ran and sat opposite me. His eyes widened, "I didn't know you were back."

"Yeah. Sorry, buddy. It was kinda urgent. Something suddenly came up and we had to be here."

"Until when?"

I looked down. "We'll be leaving tomorrow."

"Oh," he said.

"But hey, summer camp's a month away. We'll be here the whole time," I promised.

He smiled. Then he told me about what he's been doing here at camp. He complained about the activities, that he was only good at canoeing. He told me about the time they pulled a prank on the Demeter cabin. And he mentioned he helped the Stoll brothers raid the store once.

"And I heard that during summer, there will be capture-the-flag."

I nodded. This summer, there will be about two hundred campers. And with the new cabins, capture-the-flag will be a full-scale battle. I grinned, "Yup. It's gonna be awesome."

During dinner, I scraped a portion of my food to the brazier. _Help me save Annabeth._

I left Alex with a few of his friends, and headed for the beach. I flopped down and stared at the horizon. The sea was sparkling with the reflection of stars.

After a few hours of contemplating, I went to my cabin. Alex was asleep in one of the bunks. I crashed in my usual spot and fell asleep instantly. After months of being haunted by nightmares, dreams found me. But not just any kind of dream. _Oh, no._

In my dream, I was inside a dark cavern. _No. _I looked around and noticed white marble pillars and walls. I wasn't inside a cavern. It was a temple. A very old temple that looked like it was going to be in wrecks for a few more seconds.

In the center, a Laistrygonian giant was holding Annabeth in chains. Krios was shouting at her. I clenched my fists as he slapped her. If only I was present there, I would've stabbed him right in the gut.

"Very well, if you're not going to tell me his Achiles' heel, then I have no more use of you here. Take her away!" he waved his hand and turned around.

I watched as the giant dragged her out of the room. I wanted to run to her and free her. But I was unable to move.

Krios remained very still in the center. "I will be waiting for you, Jackson," he said like he knew I was right there listening. His cold laugh echoed in the room as my dream shifted.

"Percy? Are you alright?"

"Grover, where are you?" I asked as I looked around. There were tall pine trees everywhere. I could hear the sound of a raging river a few feet away.

"Mississippi," he answered, "Percy, what's going on?"

"What do you mean?"

"Your emotions have been going wild. Just a moment ago, it felt like you were just about to blow-up." Being a satyr, he was able to sense emotions. And with our empathy link, he can sense mine even if he was a million miles away.

I told him what happened. Annabeth being kidnapped by Krios and our plan to get her back. After crying and eating a bunch of trash that he _just so happen _ to pick up, he got control over his emotionality and said, "I'm coming with you."

"But we'll be leaving tomorrow."

"Meet me along the way. Maybe somewhere in Illinois and Kentucky."

I smiled. "Thanks, G-man."

"Anything for Annabeth. Oh, before you go. Tell Juniper I-"

"Got it," I cut him off. He smiled.

I woke up and looked at my watch, Tyson's gift that can turn into a shield when needed. _Five in the morning_. I sighed. It was still a little dark outside. I turned to Alex. He was sleeping comfortably his bunk with half of his body about to fall off out of bed. After fixing his position, I patted his hair. "I'll see you soon, buddy."

When I got out, I headed straight to the woods to check on Juniper. Wood nymphs always woke up very early in the morning. I found her in the middle of a grove. I told her about Annabeth, our plan to get her back, and my talk with Grover.

"Oh, Percy. I'm so sorry."

"Why? I mean, it's not your fault. Is it? Unless you had anything to do with it?"

She glared at me accusingly, "Well, no. But it's just sad. Why would they even do that!"

I just fell silent. "Well, if it makes you feel any better, I haven't seen Grover in two months. Instead of being here, he's out _there_ talking to other nature spirits," she huffed.

"Uhm. Thanks?"

She smiled. "I'm so happy for Annabeth,"

"Why?" I asked _very_ confused. _I just told you she was being held captive by some Titan. Thank you very much, Ms. Obvious._

"She has someone who always comes for her in times of need."

"I guess. If you put it _that_ way."

"Well, what are you waiting for? Go, go, go!" she said excitedly as she pushed me out of the grove.

I left my mom a message about everything that happened. She wouldn't be very worried just yet, with all the things that we've already faced. But it felt like I won't be able to keep in touch with her for a while, so I took the opportunity. I also asked if Paul could make up some excuse for me for missing school. After leaving the message, I went to wake up the others.

Chiron waited for us in front of the pegasi stable to see us off. "Are you ready?" he asked.

I nodded. I looked at Nico, who was still groggy, and Thalia, holding her stomach as it growled. "_Ugh_. Why so early?" she complained. We didn't wait after breakfast to leave. We needed all the time we had left.

"C'mon, Thals. We'll stop by some bagel shop along the way."

"Bagel?" Nico asked wistfully while rubbing his eyes.

I watched Nico and Thalia get on Guido and Porkpie as Chiron talked to me. "Percy, be careful. Krios is a little different from his brothers. He may not be as strong as they are, but he is also not as stubborn. He is patient, and he knows how to wait."

I nodded. And with that, I got on Blackjack. We soared higher and higher as Chiron waved his hand.

"So, where are we headed anyway?" Thalia asked. We haven't really thought things through yet. I tried to dig deep in me. For some reason, I feel like I know where we're supposed to go. Then it hit me. I haven't understood it then, but now, everything seemed to connect.

"Kansas."

* * *

**AN:** So, now the plot thickens. Sorry there will be a little less Percabeth from now on. But don't worry. For the mean time, I'll be writing some spin-off one-shots of this story. I hope you'll like it, too.

I'm supposed to be _really _busy right now. But I am updating anyway. I hope you all continue to follow the story.

And, I don't mean to beg, but c'mon guys! Please review. :)


	6. Chapter 6

Okay, sorry it took me a while to update. I've been really busy with papers, and I'll be a bit busier the next few days. I'll try to still update though.

Anyway, thank you all for continuing to follow the story.

**DISCLAIMER: **I don't own anything.

**

* * *

Chapter 6: Assignments and Homeworks.**

* * *

We dropped off somewhere in Ohio. We figured flying over everything won't help us gather the information we need, and we were supposed to meet up with Grover somewhere along the way anyway. But it was mostly because Nico was having trouble with his pegasus. Porkpie kept on complaining, _Dead people don't belong in the air!_

"I'll see you soon, buddy," I said as I ruffled Blackjack's mane.

_Are you sure, boss?_

"Yeah. And I need you to watch Alex for me."

_He knows where you hide your sugar cubes, right? In case you won't be coming back._

"Nope. That means if I don't make it back, you won't be having any sugar cubes for a _very_ long time."

_Better make sure you come back then, boss. A horse needs his sugar ya know!_

With that, they flew back to camp. We started to walk towards the direction of the highway that was about a hundred feet away.

"So, tell me again why we're going to Kansas?" Thalia asked.

I sighed. "I told you. I dreamt about it a few months ago, and I feel like it's where we're supposed to go. Besides, we have no clue and it's the only lead we've got."

"_Great._ Thanks for clearing that up, _Mr. I-had-a-dream_."

I rolled my eyes. "Can we please just walk?"

We continued to follow the road that curved with the mountain, hoping for someone who would be nice enough to give three strangers walking in the middle of nowhere a ride._ A ride_. It would be nice to go for a cruise right now. It was a peaceful sunny day.

_"You're driving like a sea slug," Annabeth said sarcastically._

_"Hey, cut me some slack. I just got my license. And I still owe Paul with the craters on the hood. I can't risk anymore dents."_

_"How did you even get a license?"_

_"Because I'm awesome," I smirked. I kept my eyes on the road but I know she was rolling her eyes._

_"If you think you're so awesome, why do you doubt your driving?"_

_"I don't! I'm just...being careful."_

_"When did you start being careful?"_

_"Just now."_

_"If you're careful, then you won't be risking any dents. That just means your driving can't be trusted."_

_"Paul trusts me. That's why he even let me drive."_

_"But you don't. That's why you're being careful."_

_"I hate it when you do that," I grumbled._

_"Do what?" she asked innocently. I glanced at her and saw her devilish smile._

_We were silent for the rest of the ride. I kept glancing at her. She was happily looking out the window, gazing at different buildings that we were passing by. We were in an older part of the neighborhood. The buildings looked like they were built centuries ago, exactly the type of architecture Annabeth admired the most._

_She returned my gaze, and smiled._

"Percy!" Thalia cried, snapping her fingers in front of my face.

"What?" I asked. I felt a little fuzzy as I got back to reality. She pointed at the horizon. A few miles away was a city.

"Let's move. I'm getting hungry," she said, walking ahead.

"I knew I should've saved some of those bagels," Nico mumbled as his stomach growled.

"Come on. Just a few more minutes," I said.

After walking for another half hour, we finally reached the city. It was a quiet and peaceful neighborhood with houses and shops next to each other. There were a few monuments and statues scattered from block to block. The architecture seemed a little old-fashioned, like 19th century old. A stroll around the city would make for a pleasant afternoon, except for the thought that Annabeth would've loved this place and she's not here with us.

"Hey, I think that's a nice place to crash," Thalia said heading towards an inn. It seemed decent. I personally liked it because it had a decal of two horses on the window. I didn't bother to study the name of the restaurant. At first glance it appeared as ASS'HW.

As we entered, a waitress walked to us. She studied us at first. I didn't really know what I looked like but I sure know that I was pretty normal compared to the two dead-looking people with me.

"For three, please," Thalia said gingerly.

"I didn't know you could be all ladylike," Nico whispered for only the three of us can hear.

The waitress nodded, "Please follow me, right this way." When she turned around to lead us to our table, Thalia smacked Nico behind the head.

"Right here," the waitress said as she put down the menus she was holding on the square table by the window.

"I'll be coming back for your orders," she said as we sat down. She smiled at me, and I suddenly noticed that she was just about my age. Probably a working student.

"Thank you," I forced a smile.

When she left us, Thalia leaned in close to me and whispered, "What are you doing?" I sensed the annoyance in her voice.

I raised my eyebrow, "What are you talking about?"

"With _that _waitress. She was _totally_ hitting on you."

"I just thanked her. It was the polite thing to do."

"_Polite?_" she sneered.

"Hey, I'm not the one who was all ladylike."

"_For three, please_," Nico said with mockery trying to imitate Thalia's voice.

I tried to hold my laugh as Thalia smacked him again. "Shut it, Nic!" Then she looked back at me, "Just watch it, Percy. Remember _you _have a girlfriend, who apparently, is the one we're trying to rescue."

"Look, Thals. I don't care about any random girl who's trying to hit on me, 'kay? On the other hand, I care about Annabeth way before we even started to go out. I won't be wandering anywhere, not even knowing where to go, if I didn't," I paused for a moment. "I mean, I-I lov- I lost her once already before, and I'm-"

Thalia cut me off, her eyes widening, "Oh my gods! You were gonna say you love her, didn't you?"

"What? No! I mean...no!" I stuttered. I hope my face wasn't burning red as I felt it was.

"Oh, I dunno, Perce. Have you told her already?" she asked, grinning.

"Why do you even care? With you being a hunter and all the feminist stuff," I said trying to change the subject.

"I may be an anti-male who swore to turn my back on men for the rest of eternity, but that doesn't mean I can't be happy for a relationship, _especially_, my best friend's. I'm very supportive you know," she smirked.

"Guys, can we _please_ just order the food," Nico groaned throwing his hands in the air.

_Thank the gods!_ The waitress finally came back to take our order.

"I'll have a BBQ Chicken Pizza and a can of Coke," I said.

"One Chicken Salad Sandwich and a milk shake for me," Thalia said.

"Grilled Steak Burger with Fries and a root beer," Nico said.

We all stared at Nico. "What?" he complained.

"Root beer?" I asked.

He scowled. "The soft drink. I'm too young for alcohol."

While waiting for our orders, we discussed what we're up against..

"Percy, it doesn't make any sense. We can't just go to Kansas because you '_had a dream'_," Thalia said making air quotes.

"Wow, you still use air quotes, huh," I said sarcastically. She grimaced.

I sighed, "How many times should I tell you, it wasn't just any dream. It also didn't make any sense to me then, but now I think it has something to do with Krios. Him being the Lord of Constellations and with Canis Major missing."

"You just probably overlooked it or you just think you know where it is," she said with a smug smile. I glared at her. "Look, what I'm saying is constellations don't just go missing," she continued.

"My point exactly!" I said with a sense of triumph. She just sighed.

"But Laelaps was supposed to be a statue, right?" Nico asked.

"Yes. And no," Thalia answered.

"Thanks for clearing that up, _Ms. It-doesn't-make-any-sense_," I grinned.

She rolled her eyes. "Lealaps was a gift from Artemis to Procris. But it was her husband, Cephalus, who used Laelaps in hunting. As time passed by, he eventually ran out of monsters to hunt, until he decided to hunt the Teumessian fox. The hunt went on until Zeus was fed up, knowing that it will go on for eternity, a dog that always caught its target and a fox that never got caught. He turned the two to stone. But Artemis honored both of them and put them in the stars. Thus, Canis Major and Canis Minor."

"Oh," Nico said with hardly any care.

We fell silent for a while, waiting for our food. It felt like someone was watching us so I looked outside the window. Across the street was a park, and I noticed the bushes quivering. For a second, I thought I saw two glowing red balls. But the waitress suddenly came up to our table and served our food.

"May I get you anything else?" she asked, smiling at me.

"Uh, we're good," I said avoiding her glance. I didn't want to get lectured again by Thalia. I gazed back out the window but whatever I saw was gone.

We scarfed our food as fast as you can say _nakakapagpakabagabag._ It's some word I learned from my strange classmate in Goode. It's actually pretty easy to pronounce when you get the hang of it. As soon as we finished, we paid for our food and left the SHAW'S. The waitress mentioned it as we left, "Please visit us here again at SHAW'S."

After walking a few blocks, we tried to decide what to do next.

"Can't we just be inside for a while? Not everyone appreciates a bright, fiery chariot flying in the sky," Nico grumbled.

"Not everyone has a fad for anything dead and gloomy either," Thalia snorted. Nico stuck his tongue out as Thalia made a face.

"Guys, please stop with the small talk. We're on a quest," I pleaded. This is getting out of hand. We've been saying _please_ all day long.

They both gave me stern looks, waiting for what I decide to do. I sighed, "Let's just keep moving for now. We need to meet up with Grover as soon as possible. We'll decide then what to do."

We spit up and asked around for possible routes out the city.

"There's a Greyhound station up north in Columbus," Nico said.

"We can't afford that. The fare to get there would already cost us all our money," I said.

"We could just walk."

I raised my eyebrow. "Are you sure you like that idea?"

He thought about for a moment and shook his head.

Thalia came running back to meet with us. "I found a railroad a few blocks down," she said.

I sighed, "I just told Nico, we don't have enough money to-"

"Who said anything about paying," she smirked, cutting me off.

* * *

"You've gotta be kidding me. We don't even know where it's headed," I said bewildered.

"No, I'm not. And, we don't have any other choice," Thalia said as the freight train's horn sounded. "Come on. It's about to go."

We looked around for a while, checking each cargo for one to stay in. All of them were jampacked with different sizes and shapes of boxes. I even recognized an awful smell coming out from one of them, and _No!_ I'm not telling you what it is.

"This seems to be a good one," Nico said, pointing to a half-empty cargo. We boarded the cargo just as the train started to move. The sliding door was half-open for air to come in. We stuffed our bags in the corner and sat down, leaning against the wall. I suddenly felt all the fatigue from the long walks course through my body. Ever since I became invulnerable, I've needed more hours to sleep. I usually slept during my algebra class which was in the middle of the day, a good time to take a nap. As soon as the teacher would start talking, I'll close my eyes and instantly fall asleep.

I probably looked drowsy because Thalia noticed. "You should get some sleep. It will be a while before we reach a stop."

I nodded and closed my eyes. I was actually looking forward to dream this time, hoping to see Annabeth and obtain more information. But I just had one of my occasional nightmares instead.

I was sitting on a big rock by the creek in camp half-blood, watching the sunset in the woods. It was a peaceful afternoon, but the ground suddenly started to shake as a fissure appeared. There was laugh echoing around me. I turned and saw where it was coming from. Beside me was a guy about nineteen, holding a sword with two different metals- one edge bronze, the other steel. _Backbiter_. He was tall and muscular with sandy hair. I looked up at his face. He had a scar starting from right below his right eye and to his jaw. But instead of blue eyes, they were solid gold.

"Goodbye, Percy," he said as he snapped his fingers. A scorpion came crawling out of the fissure.

"Luke, what are you doing?" I asked as I tried to draw Riptide out. But instead of a pen, I was holding a can of Coke.

"Die, Percy!" he said, laughing. The pit scorpion lunged at me, then I started to fall into the fissure.

"Luke!" I shouted, waking up with a start. I looked around the cargo as I tried to relax. Nico was curled up in the darkest corner, comfortably sleeping. Next to me was Thalia, mumbling in her sleep. Her voice was sad. I tried to listen to what she was saying but I couldn't make out anything. I glanced outside as we passed by tall oak trees. The moonlight passed through the half-open door, illuminating part of the cargo.

I sighed and closed my eyes. But before I could get back to sleep, Thalia suddenly grabbed my shoulder. I quickly opened my eyes. She was still asleep but she was shivering, maybe a bad dream. Before I could wake her up, she shouted, "Luke!" and opened her eyes. I put my arms around her shoulder and let her head rest on mine. She was breathing heavily.

"Hey, it's okay," I whispered. She nodded. It was a little dark but the moon lit her face and I noticed a tear trickle down her cheek.

After a few minutes of silence, I finally said, "So, uh, Luke." I felt her body stiffen at the mention of his name. She sighed and looked out the doorway.

"I sometimes have dreams of him." I wanted to press her on the matter, but it seemed to be a bad time. After another few minutes of silence though, she continued, "He started the war, and I was mad at him for everything. I wanted him gone and I would've done anything to do so. But he was still part of some of the best moments in my life. And...I didn't get to say good-bye to him," she finished and closed her eyes.

I rubbed her shoulder. "Don't worry. You'll see him soon enough."

"Are _you_ saying I'm about to _die_ soon?" she asked a little outraged.

"No-no. What I mean is, he did mention that he was going to go for rebirth. With you being immortal, you'll probably come across each other sometime soon." She twitched a little as I told her, like she already knew.

"How can you tell?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. For some reason, I can just feel it."

"There you go with your feelings again," she chuckled. I rolled my eyes. "I just hope you're wrong."

"Why?"

She looked down. "It will just...complicate things."

Before I could ask her what she meant, a loud howl shattered the silent night. Nico hastily woke up. I glanced at Thalia. Her eyes widened, and I noticed something deep within them. Fear.

We all stood up as something leapt into the cargo right in between Nico and us. It was a timber wolf, with balanced shades of white and black fur. It was only half the size of Mrs. O'Leary but looked a lot deadlier. It had red eyes, but not just any bloodshot eyes. They were literally red, like glowing christmas bulbs. As I stared into its eyes, I can feel myself tremble as I saw visions of my worst fears.

"What is that?" I asked my voice quivering.

Thalia muttered, "Laelaps."

* * *

**AN:** There you go. An addition to the plot. I hope you liked it.

I'll try to write another one-shot next. I'll think about if I'll make it another songfic. It will be about Thuke.

Oh, and the title came from ASS'HW. You know, ASS: Assignments, and HW: Homeworks. Sorry, I know it's lame. I'm pathetic. So please comfort me by reviewing my work. :)


	7. Chapter 7

Sorry for the late update. Life has been pretty busy. I'm full of stress, I'm about to go BOOM! I hate college! Papers, papers, papers... and more papers! Why do I even put up with college? I can just go out to the world and have my own adventure, instead of being stuck inside classrooms with teachers and professors that suck! HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE... HATE!!! Sorry for ranting. I'm just trying to cool off.

Anyway, this chapter is a bit short. I kinda just rushed it. I'll try to clean it up when I finally get a hold of myself.

**DISCLAIMER: **I do not own anything. Not even my own life! Gods! So annoying!

**

* * *

Chapter 7: A plan worthy of Athena.**

_

* * *

A loud howl shattered the silent night. Nico hastily woke up. I glanced at Thalia. Her eyes widened, and I noticed something deep within them. Fear._

_We all stood up as something leapt into the cargo right in between Nico and us. It was a timber wolf, with balanced shades of white and black fur. It was only half the size of Mrs. O'Leary but looked a lot deadlier. It had red eyes, but not just any bloodshot eyes. They were literally red, like glowing christmas bulbs. As I stared into its eyes, I can feel myself tremble as I saw visions of my worst fears._

_"What is that?" I asked my voice quivering._

_Thalia muttered, "Laelaps."_

_

* * *

_

I kept my gaze on its fangs to avoid getting paralyzed at the sight of its eyes; not the _turn-you-to-stone_ Medusa-type of paralysis nor the _oh-my-gods-that-big-snake-is-going-to-eat-me _Drakon-type of paralysis, but the _holy-Zeus-I-can-see-myself-running-around-naked_ type of paralysis. That's not exactly my worst fear, but you get the point.

It kept snarling at me, waiting for any sudden movements. I remained very still, readying my hand to draw Riptide if it suddenly attacks. Finally, it barked and lunged at me. I ducked as I drew Riptide and slashed sideways, hoping it would disintegrate. _Oh, Styx! _It had invulnerable fur like the Nemean Lion, so it just got hit by the flat of my blade and crashed against the wall.

My ADHD helped my senses work overtime. I analyzed everything in my surroundings. The door was five feet away to the right, but jumping out would only cause it to chase us on ground. And that's a terrible idea, knowing that it's faster than us. Then I finally saw it. Above the crates behind Nico was a vent on the roof.

"Cover me!" I shouted as I ran towards the crates. I saw Thalia draw her hunting knives out of the corner of my eye. Nico charged pass me with his Stygian sword as I started to climb. The crates were a bit high and were far apart but it was a lot easier than wall climbing at camp. I heard Thalia scream as she crashed against the wall.

I started to mutter a prayer when I finally reached the top of the crates. "Please, be open. Please, be open." And just like that, I pushed the vent and it opened. I made a silent promise to thank the gods if we made it out of this.

I looked back just in time as Nico smashed into the crates. I didn't need to insult Lealaps. As soon as he saw me, he jumped up, and with just one leap, he reached the top of the crates. I scrambled out through the vent as he tried to bite my foot off.

"Nice try, Wolfy. Why are you a wolf anyway? Shouldn't you be like, a hyena instead? You look like an Evil Clown with those dopey red eyes! You'd definitely be better in laughing than hunting." I actually felt good with my insult, though my sense of self-respect didn't last long. Laelaps burst through the roof leaving a big hole. I jumped on to the next cargo and started running. After jumping on a couple of more cargos, I heard Thalia and Nico shout behind me. I turned around just in time as Laelaps jumped at me. I used Riptide to catch his bite, hoping it would rip open his mouth. But instead he just bit the sword and pushed me down on my back. _Great. His mouth is invulnerable, too._

I tried to kick Lealaps off of me but he was bigger and heavier. He used his weight to pin me down as he used his mouth to push my sword right in front of my face. I was running out of options. I yelled, "Help!" Just then, an arrow hit the roof a few inches away from my face. "Hey!"

"Sorry!" I heard Thalia shout. I may be invulnerable, but that doesn't mean they can just keep hitting and not worry about me. _Oh, wait._ Actually, they can.

Laelaps eventually realized he's about to be surrounded, so he snatched my sword out of my hands and threw it to the side. It slid down the train, but that wasn't any of my worries, knowing it will just come back to my pocket any second. He got off of me and charged Thalia and Nico. I quickly got up and held his tail. I summoned all my strength and pulled him back, just in time for Thalia and Nico to kick him off the train. He trashed and twirled on the ground, but it only bought us a few seconds. Soon, he will be back on his feet. There was no stopping Laelaps.

"Look!" Nico said pointing behind me. I turned, and about five miles away was a tunnel. I knew then what to do.

"Nico, I need some skeletons to distract him for a while."

He nodded and lifted his sword in the air. A dark hole appeared right in front of us as he mumbled in Ancient Greek. Five skeletons emerged just in time when Laelaps got back on the train.

"Go, and take cover," I told them. "I'll distract him."

"But-" Thalia started.

"Just go! I know what to do. Trust me," I said cutting her off. I did hope I know what I was doing, but we had no other choice.

She nodded. "Don't do anything crazy." My plan isn't _crazy_. Okay, maybe a little _insane_. But hey, at least I had an idea.

I watched them open a vent on the next cargo and go down. I turned back to Laelaps. The skeletons, or more like bones, were scattered. _What dog doesn't like bones? _Apparently Laelaps. The skeletons were nothing to him but it gave me just enough time. I started to walk backwards slowly as he approached. I felt Riptide back in my pocket, but I didn't need it now. I need to appear defenseless.

"Come here, Wolfy." Just as I planned, he lunged at me. And like everything was rehearsed, I dropped down on my back and held my feet in the air just in time as he got on me. I kicked him sidewards as we entered the tunnel. It was pure darkness inside the tunnel but I saw his glowing red eyes bounce in the dark, like two fireflies flying wildly. I heard him whimper as he fell off the train and trash against the bearings. I wanted to congratulate myself for actually having a plan that worked. But I knew it wasn't enough to stop him. The least is it will take some time for him to recover. We may have a couple of days at the most.

After exiting the tunnel, I went back to our previous cargo to get our bags then I went to check on Thalia and Nico. The cargo they were in was full of crates and there was hardly any space to stay. We sat by the vent because it was the only source of light.

"So?" Nico asked.

"He's gone. For now," I answered truthfully. I didn't actually know what happened, but I was sure the damage done would take him days to recover.

"What did you do?" Thalia asked. I told them my stunt and how I pulled it off. They were actually surprised I managed to think of something like that.

"Looks like Annabeth has been rubbing off on you," she teased. I forced a smile. Annabeth's voice was echoing in my head. _A plan worthy of Athena._ The thought of her made my heart clench. I miss her.

"You both should rest. I'll take watch," Nico said. I wanted to argue but I just nodded. He probably wants to cherish the darkness for all it's worth.

I sat down next to Thalia. At first it was hard to see, but now that we were in the dark, she glowed with a faint silvery aura around her- the blessing of Artemis. Her gaze was straight into the dark and that meant she was deep in her thoughts.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

She was silent for a few minutes before answering. "Lealaps. He's-he's not supposed to have red eyes."

"What do you mean?"

"Lady Artemis usually tells us stories about her hunts in the past. She mentioned Laelaps quite often because he was the perfect hunting companion. But when she described Laeaps," she paused for a while, shaking her head, "He's supposed to have bright silver eyes, like shining stars. Not those red glowing ones."

"Then, maybe, _that_ wasn't Laelaps."

"Did you see your worst fears when you looked him in the eyes?"

"Uh, yeah." The thought of seeing my loved ones die in those scary red eyes made me shiver.

"Then _that_ was definitelyhim. Something is clearly wrong."

"Well, _duh_," I said as a matter-of-factly. I tried to put sarcasm in my voice but it came out very wrong.

She glared at me with her electrifying blue eyes. They were probably as bad as Laelaps eyes, if not worse. I didn't tell her that, and I definitely didn't want to mess with her. I raised my hands in the air as a sign of peace.

She was about to speak but instead let out a yawn, obviously a sign of exhaustion. Even I was getting more tired by the second. I haven't gotten enough sleep yet and my invulnerability was draining all the strength left in me.

I sighed, "We'll try to find out what's going on. You should rest." I pat her shoulder and she winced. Her crash against the wall must have given her a bruise. I grabbed an ambrosia square from my backpack and handed it to her, "Here."

"Thanks," she mumbled as she stuffed the god-food in her mouth. "You get some sleep, too."

I nodded and used my backpack as a pillow. But before I fell asleep, I remembered my promise. _Thank you._

I was too worn out this time, I didn't even have a dream. It was just pure darkness and gloom.

* * *

"Percy!" Nico practically yelled in my ear.

I opened my eyes and my reflexes responded for me, I whacked him in the head. "What in Tartarus is wrong with you?" I complained while rubbing my ear.

"I was just trying to wake you up," he grumbled.

"Trying to wake me up? More like trying to make me deaf."

Thalia stuck her head in the open vent. "Stop whining you two. Come on, Kelp Face. We need to get going."

"Good morning to you, too," I muttered.

The train was still moving, and it made me wonder why we _need to get going_. I peeked through the vent where Thalia was seated. It was still a little dark out. "What time is it?"

"About five," she answered.

"In the morning? It's just been a few hours. Why are we getting off?"

"We're already in Illinois."

"But that's impossible. That-" I didn't continue. If we were moving this fast, it only meant one thing. We're being helped by a god, _or_ gods.

I went up and Nico followed suit. The train looked like it was moving at a normal speed, but the burst of wind meant otherwise.

"So, how exactly are we going to-" but before I could finish, Thalia notched an arrow with a cord and shot it to a tree a few yards ahead. She jumped off and swung towards the woods.

"Great," I muttered. I turned to Nico. "How about-" and again before I could finish, he melted with the shadow and appeared next to Thalia. They smiled and waved.

"Some friends," I grumbled. There was no other way for me to get off but to jump. I swung my backpack behind me and made sure it covered the soft spot on my back. I sighed and jumped off. As I hit the ground I rolled to sustain my momentum, but I still ended up twirling and tumbling around. I should've broken all my bones. Being invulnerable sure has its perks.

I tried to stand up but ended up falling face down on the ground. Thalia and Nico came running towards me, laughing. They helped me up as I put my hand on my head. I still felt a little dazed from turning and turning.

"Thanks," I mumbled.

"You should've seen your self," Nico cackled.

"Ha-ha," I mocked as I tried to compose myself. "So, where exactly are we?"

"Somewhere south of Illinois," Thalia answered. It made me wonder how she was aware of that, but I didn't dare ask. She probably already knew her way around the country from running away and being a hunter.

"We should head to-" I stopped as I heard someone call me.

"Percy!"

* * *

**AN:** Sorry if the chapter is a bit messed up. I, myself, am pretty much messed up, too. I don't have time to clean it up. But I do have time to rant some more. And like I said, I hate life! Ugh!

If you wish to help cheer me up, review!


	8. Chapter 8

I'm supposed to be reviewing for my midterm exams, but instead, here I am updating. Yey me!

It took me awhile to get this chapter ready. Sorry if it took this long. Anyway, thank you for the reviews and thank you for reading. You guys are awesome!

Long wait = Long chapter. Now, I present to you chapter 8.

**DISCLAIMER: **I do not own anything.

**

* * *

Chapter 8: Partners in Crime.**

_

* * *

"So, where exactly are we?"_

_"Somewhere south of Illinois," Thalia answered. It made me wonder how she was aware of that, but I didn't dare ask. She probably already knew her way around the country from running away and being a hunter._

_"We should head to-" I stopped as I heard someone call me._

_"Percy!"_

* * *

"Uh, Percy? You okay?" Thalia asked with concern on her face. They weren't aware of the voice.

I put my finger in front of them and closed my eyes. I tried to tap my empathy link with Grover. "Grover?"

"Percy!"

There it was again, but it sounded like it came from the woods. I glanced at Thalia and Nico as their eyes widened. _It did come from the woods!_

I turned around in time to see Grover clopping towards us. "Perrrcy!" he bleated.

He looked just like the last time I saw him in my dream. He was a lot more furry. I would've told him to shave, but I didn't want to hurt his feelings. Besides, being a satyr, it is in their nature to appear goatly.

"Hey, G-man," I said, patting his back as he gave me a bear hug. _Or a goat hug?_

When he finally pulled away from me, he gave Thalia and Nico their own hugs. Thalia didn't mind. He was a close friend and a satyr, so I guess it didn't go against the being-a-hunter thing. Nico though, made gagging faces like he was about to puke. But he returned the gesture anyway.

After the greetings, we sat down on the grass as Grover started to complain how there were no good enchiladas in the wilderness. "They taste like trash!" he complained. It was no surprise that he knew what trash taste like.

We told him what we've gone through so far, and he informed us about his trips going back and forth from the wilderness and Camp Half-Blood.

"How did you find us anyway?" I asked.

"I felt our empathy link tingle a few hours ago, so I tried to contact you. But you were so out cold, not to mention _too busy_ with your dream of Annabeth," he beamed. I didn't remember dreaming about Annabeth, but I felt my cheeks burn as they all grinned at me.

"As I was saying," he continued, still unable to hide his glee, "I was aware of your surroundings. Ever since Pan's death, I knew my way around the wild. So, I came to look for you."

"Well, now that you're here, we better get moving. I'll just send Chiron an IM. Can you do the tracking spell for the mean time?" I asked and he nodded.

I grabbed a bottle of water and a golden drachma from my backpack, and walked a few feet into the woods where it was still a bit of foggy. I sprinkled some water in the air and willed it to conjure a mist. "Iris, O Goddess of the Rainbow, accept my offering." I tossed the drachma into the mist and it vanished. "Chiron. Camp Half-Blood." The mist shimmered and showed an image of a centaur slowly striding around his room while humming the song his boombox was playing, something that sounded like Sammy Davis, Jr.

"Chiron," I called.

He turned to face me and smiled, "Hello, Percy. I'm glad to finally hear from you. How's your journey so far?"

I let him know that we've finally met up with Grover. It has only been a day, so I skipped the details and told him about our encounter with Laelaps. His smile slowly faded as I explained to him that he had red eyes.

"Percy, you should take caution. You know the story of Laelaps," he said.

"He never fails to catch his target," I finished.

"Yes," he nodded. "Laelaps is only loyal to his master, which is Artemis, or to whomever he is bestowed upon. Like what Thalia has told you, he is supposed to have silver eyes. The red eyes must mean that he is being possessed or controlled by someone."

"Krios," I muttered.

He shook his head, "We are not sure of that, my boy. But it is apparent that Laelaps' sudden appearance is not a coincidence."

I nodded. "I'll see you soon, Chiron. And thanks." He smiled as the vision shimmered and faded.

I went back to the others. They were lying on the ground, heavily laughing. When they finally noticed me, they stopped and pursed their lips, trying to hold their laugh.

"What's so funny?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. They all looked down, still trying hard not to laugh. It was evident that they didn't want to tell me, and I knew that it was something about me. They always talk behind my back, or more like _laugh_ behind my back. _Backstabbers_.

I ignored it and sat down next to them. "So, what did the acorns say?" I asked, turning to Grover, who was still trying not to burst out laughing.

After a few moments, he finally composed himself and answered, "Well, we were discussing what the acorns meant when Nico mentioned that you-"

"What?" Nico answered hastily. "But you were the one who started it! You told us about that time when Percy-" he paused as they both looked at me hesitantly while Thalia tried not to laugh. I rolled my eyes.

"Uhm, never mind. Anyway, here we are," Grover said, quickly pointing to a group of acorns. "And here is where we're supposed to go," he continued, pointing to an acorn far from the others.

"Where exactly is _here_?" Thalia asked.

Grover pointed to a trail leading towards the woods. "I passed by a small town there. That's where the acorn is telling us to go."

"It's not anything like Talos, right?" I asked, then suddenly realizing that I shouldn't have brought it up. We had a very unfortunate encounter with Talos, a defective model at that, a few years ago. I glanced at Nico as he stared down, his face paling. We lost Bianca, his sister, during that time.

I turned back to Grover as he shook his head. "No. I can sense if it is a threat or not. _That_ something," he said, pointing at the acorn, "is waiting for us."

"What do you mean _waiting for us_?" Nico asked aggrievedly.

"I'm not really sure. It's some kind of gift, I think," Grover answered.

"Well, there's only one way to find out," I said, standing up." Let's go."

Grover led us deep into the forest, following the narrow trail he used to find us. I inhaled the humid air and looked ahead, watching the sun rise. I could feel the warm wind whistling through the woods as Apollo drove his fiery chariot- old-fashioned term for his _Maserati_- across the sky.

_We were running deep in the forest as arrows flew pass us._

_"Here!" Annabeth said, grabbing my arm and dragging me behind a bush._

_We sat down trying to catch our breath. "I think we've lost them," I said, breathing heavily._

_"Sshh!" she hissed, putting her finger on my lips. The bush behind us rustled as few of the campers passed by._

_"Where are they?" Will Solace from the Apollo cabin asked._

_"I don't know. Let's just keep going. They couldn't have gone that far yet," Travis Stoll answered._

_"I couldn't believe those two! Pulling a prank against the worst masterminds!" Connor Stoll complained._

_"Uhm, worst?" Will asked._

_"Yeah. You know, like evil scientist. Evil is bad, then after bad is worse, then after worse is worst. So, we're the worst scientists! I mean, worst masterminds!" Connor answered. I put my hand on my mouth to hold my laugh. I glanced at Annabeth who was doing the same._

_"Ugh! Just shut up!" Travis groaned._

_"Come on, you two," Will said. I swear I could feel Will roll his eyes._

_We waited for a few moments as the sound of steps died down. I peered through the bush we were staying in to make sure they were out of sight._

_"They're gone," I whispered. I looked at Annabeth who was smiling playfully. We burst out laughing._

_"I told you it would work," I said in between laughs._

_"Of course it would! I did everything," she replied._

_"Hey! I was the one who got the fart arrows! You don't even have any idea how hard it is to bribe Thalia to give those. We're partners in crime. At least give me credit," I complained._

_"Then, technically, Thalia is my partner in crime and you were just the envoy."_

_"Do envoys bribe?" I asked._

_"Actually, they do," she huffed as a matter-of-fact-ly._

_"Whatever, Wise Girl," I grumbled. She stood up and gestured me to follow. I turned my gaze on her shoes, pouting.  
_

_She frowned. "Stop being a baby." _

_I kept silent staring at the ground._

_She sighed, "You'll always be my partner in crime, you know that."_

_"Wow. You just told me I know something. Are you trying to be sweet?" I smirked. She rolled her eyes.  
_

_"Shut up. I'm just giving you credit like you wanted. Now, come on. Before they get back," she said, reaching out her hand.  
_

_"They will eventually find us at camp. Why not stay here for awhile," I answered._

_She raised her eyebrow, "What do you have in mind?"_

_I looked up at her and grinned. I grabbed her hand and pulled her onto me. Her face was a few inches from mine. She flustered. "Seaweed Bra-" But before she could finish, I pressed my lips against hers._

_"You talk too much," I said. She curled her hands around my neck and returned the kiss. We wrestled for awhile, getting tangled with the bushes. I pinned her down as she laughed. She smiled and pulled my head closer to hers. I was about to kiss her when the bushes near us rustled as Will, Travis, and Connor jumped out._

_"Gotcha! Now, we're-" Will stopped when he noticed me on top of Annabeth. I stood up hastily as I felt my cheeks heat up._

_"We were just... uh, we-" I stuttered as the three of them smirked at us._

_"Uh-huh," Connor said, grinning mischievously._

_"We'll wait for you at camp," Travis grinned, and they left us blushing like tomatoes. I glanced back at Annabeth as she put her head on her hands._

"Ow!" I groaned, rubbing my temples. Thalia and Nico just looked at me quizzically while Grover smiled teasingly. I guess he knew what I was daydreaming about.

"Why were you hugging that tree?" Thalia asked, slightly amused.

"Uh, just thinking," I answered.

"Yeah, right," Nico smirked.

"Actually," Grover started. I shot him a death glare and he grinned. "We should keep moving. We're almost there," he finished.

We finally reached a clearing, and went on top of a hill to get a view of the town. It was like looking over at camp from Half-Blood Hill. There were a few houses scattered from block to block. The largest building, which appeared to be an inn, was by the edge of town. And near it is a long river, hugging the borders of the land.

"Wow. It really is-" Nico started.

"Small?" I finished.

"Actually, I was going for puny," he stated.

"Look who's talking," Thalia said sarcastically.

Grover laughed as Nico scowled, trying to think of a comeback, "Well, you... you're-"

"Come on, guys. Let's just get this over with. Whatever is waiting for us, it won't be hard to find," I said, cutting him off. "Grover, any monsters?"

He shook his head. "There's nothing within miles from this town. The place is completely secluded."

"Then, let's get started," I said walking down the hill.

We walked across a few blocks, passing a couple of people greeting us and asking if we were new in town. We tried to look normal as others stared at us. I couldn't blame them. Four wanderers appearing out of nowhere is very strange. We reached a small store in the middle of town and stopped.

"Well, this is boring," Nico mumbled.

I sighed. "There's nothing out of the ordinary here. It's just a simple and peaceful town. Are you sure this is where we're supposed to be?" I asked turning to Grover.

"Percy, the acorns don't lie" he answered softly. He looked a little offended.

I sighed. _What's wrong with me? I have to stop sighing._ I mentally sighed. _Now, that's just plain weird_. "I'm sorry. I'm just a little stressed out. We still don't have any clue where we're supposed to be going, and now we don't have any idea on what to do next," I said, throwing my hands in exasperation.

"It's okay. I can feel your emotions, remember?" he smiled.

"If you guys will just keep talking, I'll check out the store for awhile and ask," Thalia said irritatingly, storming across the street and into the store. I understood how it felt to be restless. Half-Bloods have attention deficit problems making us feel uneasy when we couldn't stand just waiting around.

I turned to Nico who was looking at me pleadingly. I nodded and he ran across the street, following Thalia.

I flopped down on the grass and looked up at the sky. Grover sat down next to me and we sat in silence. After a few minutes, he patted my shoulder. "You worry too much. We'll find her, Perce."

"I know. It's just," I sighed as I started fiddling with my fingers, "I feel guilty. This is all my fault. It's me they want, and now they're using Annabeth as a bait."

Grover looked at me sympathetically. He was about to say something when Thalia and Nico came back. "Here," Thalia said, handing me a muffin.

"Blueberry?" I asked before taking a bite. She smiled and nodded. As I took a bite, I could feel all my worries disappear. It tasted so good. But after munching the muffin, all my thoughts came flooding back.

"So, what did you find out?" I asked as I licked my fingers.

"The cashier told us there's nothing really special in this town except for that old inn," she answered, pointing towards the inn near the river. "But he did give us a map," she said handing me the map. I looked at the map and my brain started to fizzle. Just looking at it made my head hurt, what more if I tried to analyze it. So I did the most noble thing, I handed it to Grover.

I stood up and brushed my pants. "Let's just check the inn before leaving," I said.

The inn was called The Grand Rose Hotel. It looked like it has been newly renovated, but its description that was posted in the front lawn said it was built during the 1800's. It's a two-story brick structure painted ivory white. It has a veranda that overlooks the river, and by the river banks was a small gazebo. It looked amazing for a 19th century architecture. Annabeth would've loved contemplating the view, but she was not here with us. The thought made my heart twist.

"It's beautiful," Thalia gasped. Nico and Grover nodded in agreement.

"Yeah," I mumbled. I ignored their comments. It just made my heart clench as it kept reminding me of Annabeth. I gazed at the view of the river instead. It was silent and very still, but it didn't help calm me down.

The other three were busy regarding the historic site, so I left them and strolled around. As I reached the center of the lawn, something caught my attention. An old olive tree was standing alone in the middle of a grove. It had an owl perched on one of its branches, who was regarding me viciously with both of its eyes. I approached the tree and noticed for the first time that there was an old gray ranch truck parked behind it. _Olive tree, owl, gray._ I sighed. _Athena_.

She didn't need to go all through that trouble just to give me a sign. I guess she really thinks I'm that hopeless.

I went to check the driver's side of the truck and noticed the key inserted in the ignition. The fuel gauge was indicating that the tank was full.

"Thank you," I whispered. I started the engine and the truck growled to life. I adjusted the side and rear view mirrors. Brake._ Check. _Shift gear. _Check. _Headlights. _Check. _Wipers._ Check and check._ I didn't really need to check those. I just felt like it.

I drove the truck back to the others. They were still busy mulling over the site when I came back. I honked the horn and they all jumped in surprise. Their eyes widened when they noticed me on the driver's seat. I stepped out of the truck and grinned as they hastily approached.

"What? Where? How?" All three of them asked simultaneously. I told them about how I came across the olive tree, the owl, and this truck when I was wandering about the place.

"Well, what are we waiting for! Let's go. I'll drive," Thalia said excitedly.

"Woah, woah, woah. I'm driving," I said, grabbing her by the shoulder. She turned around and gave me a death glare. _Uh-oh. Bad idea._

She snarled at me. "I'm older than you."

"No. I'm already sixteen and about to turn seventeen. You're still fifteen and a day away from turning sixteen. Forever," I smirked, emphasizing every word, especially "Forever".

"I've lived longer than you!" she yelled at me, her face a few inches away from mine.

I was about to answer when Grover stepped in between us. "If we're talking about how many years we've lived, then I'll drive!" he said, punching the air.

"What?" Thalia and I asked both at the same time.

"I've lived more than thirty years!" he said gleefully, like he has won the argument.

"Guys!" Nico shouted.

We all turned on him, waiting for what he has to say. "I'm driving," he grinned. We stared at him, surprised on what he said. "Hey, I've lived longer than all of you combined. I'm actually more than eighty years old," he shrugged.

The argument on who's going to drive kept going on and on, until I finally had enough. I inwardly groaned. It's pointless arguing about this when we're supposed to be out on the road already.

"Stop! Who has a license?" I asked aggravated.

"Who needs a license when the road is deserted!" Thalia screamed.

"Then, uh, who has the most experience driving?"

"I do!" Nico answered hastily. I rolled my eyes. _Yeah, right._

"No, bad question. Uhm," I paused thinking of what to ask. Then it hit me. I smiled smugly, "To whom do you think Athena gave the gift to?"

They all went silent. They looked down and their shoulders slumped in defeat. I smirked. _I win._ "Let's go," I said, getting in the truck. Grover took shotgun while Thalia and Nico got on the pickup bed. I drove following the deserted road while Grover navigated with the map.

"So, you haven't told me yet why we are going to Kansas," Grover said conversationally. I explained to him my dream like I did with Thalia and Nico. He nodded and we drove in silence for the rest of the way, except for the occasional sounds coming from the smack on Nico's head (I assume it's his head), Nico groaning, and Grover munching tin cans.

We've reached St. Louis by dusk, and we stopped by a Shell gasoline station for a pit stop. Grover, Thalia, and Nico checked the convenience store while I stayed to refill the fuel tank. I leaned my back on the truck, waiting for the others, and glanced around. Neon signs across the street started to light up as twilight came. Cars were bustling along the streets, and a few people were walking around the avenue.

I took my attention back to the the pump handle as it made a clicking sound. I was about to check on the others when they came barging out of the store. I gave them a questioning look, but all they did was point behind me. Before I could look, I heard someone hissing. I turned around to see that it was not someone, but a _something_. A hydra, with six heads, to be more precise. It was slowly crawling towards us, crossing the street.

I drew out Riptide just as the others stood next to me. "Who has a lighter?" I asked.

"Are you crazy!?" Thalia roared.

"Uh, yeah?" I answered foolishly.

She rolled her eyes. "We can't use a lighter here. We'll blow up the gasoline station," she articulated with hand gestures making an exploding motion.

"Right. So, what are we supposed to do?"

"Watch this," she ordered as she drew an arrow out of her quiver and notched it on her bow. At first, the arrow looked very ordinary. But as Thalia prepared to shoot, the tip started to glow green.

We watched as the arrow glowed brightly, flying and hitting the hydra right where its necks connected. Starting from where the arrow landed, the hydra started to burn and soon melted into a green gooey slime that instantly evaporated, the way monsters do when they die.

Thalia smirked as our jaws dropped. "Now, that's how you do it," she said proudly.

I was the first one to recover from amazement. "What was that?" I asked as I placed the cap on Riptide, and put it back in my pocket.

"TIGF arrow," she answered matter-of-fact-ly, like I even had an idea what she was talking about.

I was about to ask her what it stood for, but instead I said something stupid. "Don't you mean TGIF?"

"Thank God it's Friday?" Nico asked.

"Gods," Grover corrected and Nico nodded.

"No, you dimwits," Thalia glowered. "TIGF. Thermal Incindiary Greek Fire. Arrows that cause Greek fire upon impact."

"Awesome!" Nico said exhilarated.

"I'll get one of those next time," I said.

"Sure. Hundred drachmas," she stated.

"What? I thought fifty was our deal."

"Those were fart arrows!"

"Whatever. How did you get them anyway?" I asked.

"Ever since I took over as lieutenant of the hunters, I convinced Artemis to improve our equipments. I respect Zoe and all, but she never did anything to get with the times, you know. We can't remain ancient forever, so we made a few upgrades."

"Like what?" Nico asked.

She grinned. "You'll find out when we have another _friendly _capture the flag."

I rolled my eyes."Can't wait," I muttered. I turned to Grover. "Didn't you sense the hydra before?" I asked.

He looked down and shook his head. "No. It's like, it just suddenly appeared out of nowhere."

I didn't need the ability of reading emotions to know that he was blaming himself. I put my hand on his shoulder for him to look up. I gave him an encouraging look and he smiled.

"Well, now that that's over, we better get moving. Thalia you take the wheel. I need some nap," I declared. My invulnerability is really taking a toll on me.

"Hey, why does she get to drive," Nico complained. I was too tired to pay him any attention, so I grabbed him by the arm and dragged him onto the pickup bed, where I laid down and slept.

For the second time, I had a dreamless sleep. I drifted into unconsciousness, where all I could feel was the cold darkness and eerie gloom.

* * *

"Percy!" Nico yelled in my ear, _again_.

I groaned and tried to hit him, _again_. But this time he was prepared. He jerked backward as my hand flew pass his face. He laughed while I glared at him. I was ready to jump him when I noticed that we have stopped. I looked around. It was still very dark and there was no light for miles.

"Why did we stop?" I asked, postponing my motive of hitting him again.

His smile faded. "You should see this," he said, signaling me to follow.

We jumped out of the pickup bed, and stood beside Grover and Thalia who were standing in front of the truck. The headlights were turned on brightly. I tried to focus on the direction of the light was beaming at, but my eyesight was still a little blurry.

"What's wrong?" I asked, rubbing my eyes. They didn't answer, instead they kept their gaze on whatever they were looking at. I tried to focus again as things started to appear more clearly.

I stood straight when I finally caught sight of what was in front of us. A small town, or what is left of it. Half-demolished buildings stood from block to block, ashes from scorched houses were being carried by the wind, metal scraps and pieces of wood were scattered everywhere, a water tank was laid down on the street, and the most disturbing of all, there were huge craters on the ground. It looked like a meteor shower took place here months ago, and no one out of town was aware of it. The only thing that stood unharmed was the welcome sign a few feet away from us. I tried to read it but I couldn't make out the words.

I pointed at it and asked Grover, "What does it say?"

"Welcome to Smallville."

* * *

**AN: **The next chapter is already prepared. I'd probably put it up later tonight or early tomorrow.

Anyway, a few notes. Sammy Davis Jr., the one I refered to that Chiron is listening to, is a member of the Rat Pack. If you remember, Rick has used Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin already, who are both part of the same group. Don't ask me how I know. I just do. I'm not old! And I'm not paranoid!

Another one, Smallville is a fictional town/city in Kansas. It is the place where Superman/Clark Kent grew up. This will not turn out as a crossover. And no, Superman will not make an appearance. Explanation on why I used it will be on the next chapter. No, I'm not a comic geek! I just know these stuffs, okay?

Well, that's it. The next chapter will be up shortly. If I don't foget. LOL.

Review!


	9. Chapter 9

Sorry for updating late. I know, I know. I said I was going to update earlier, but I have a good excuse. I got wasted. Yeah, that's right. Me and my friends were reviewing. And to clear the stress, one of us decided to grab a few bottles. Soon enough, we got carried away. I kinda lost count after 6. LOL.

Anyway, as usual, thank you readers and also those who care enough to review.

And now, here is the update. A lot of addition to the plot in this one. And it's getting very interesting. :)

**DISCLAIMER: **I'm kinda getting tired of this. But, anyway, I do not own anything.

**

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Chapter 9: Welcome to Smallville.**

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_

_A small town, or what is left of it. Half-demolished buildings stood from block to block, ashes from scorched houses were being carried by the wind, metal scraps and pieces of wood were scattered everywhere, a water tank was laid down on the street, and the most disturbing of all, there were huge craters on the ground. It looked like a meteor shower took place here months ago, and no one out of town was aware of it. The only thing that stood unharmed was the welcome sign a few feet away from us. I tried to read it but I couldn't make out the words._

_I pointed at it and asked Grover, "What does it say?"_

_"Welcome to Smallville."_

* * *

"It doesn't look pretty welcoming to me," Nico said as we surveyed the area.

"Smallville," I muttered. I know I've read that somewhere before, I just couldn't put my finger on it.

"So, uh, should we check it out?" Thalia asked. We all turned to Grover who was busy crunching a tin can. He appeared to be very jumpy.

"Blah-ha-ha," he bleated when he finally realized we were staring at him. "What do you want?"

We all glared at him. "Oh, right. Well, the place is completely deserted, I think. There are no monsters, that's for sure. But this isn't the wild, so I'm not entirely certain if it's safe," he finished nervously as he started to munch another one of his tin cans.

"What do you think, Perce?" Thalia turned to me.

"We did end up here. And I think there's a reason for that. We should definitely check it out," I stated. "In the morning."

"Is Perseus Jackson, the hero of Olympus, afraid of the dark?" Nico teased.

"Am not!" I insisted. "It's just... this place is totally creeping me out. Besides, we can look around a lot better if it's bright," I reasoned out.

"I don't really mind looking around while it's dark. But I have to agree with the creeping-me-out thing," Thalia said.

We decided to camp for the night. I parked the truck right next to the road as the others gathered piles of wood from the nearest burnt down houses. No one wanted to go any further. I mean, who would even want to go exploring a deserted ghost town- that looked a lot like it was overrun by meteors- in the dark. If you think it's fun, then I think you're Nico's long lost soulmate.

We settled around the piles of wood as Thalia zapped them with her _all-so-magnificent-lightning _powers to start a campfire. She produced three sleeping bags from her enchanted backpack and distributed them to us. She grabbed another one from her backpack with a foam mattress for herself.

"Hey, that's so unfair," Nico complained.

"If you think it's _so _unfair, then I think I will take back that sleeping bag and you can go get your own."

Nico muttered something incomprehensible under his breath. "What?" Thalia glowered with a very dangerous edge to her voice. She definitely got that from Zeus.

"N-Nothing," Nico stammered.

"Are you sure?" Thalia asked with the same edge still in her voice.

Nico nodded rapidly and it looked like his head was about to come off any second. I rolled my eyes as Thalia smirked. "That's more like it."

"So, what do you guys think happened here anyway?" Grover asked. None of us really had any idea. This was more of Annabeth's expertise. We all kept silent. I know we were all thinking the same thing.

"I wish she was here," Thalia finally spoke up, breaking the silence. We nodded in agreement. Thinking of Annabeth right now wasn't really helping. It just made me feel a lot worse.

I kept my gaze on the fire, trying to think of the things that have happened. I don't really do these kind of stuffs, you know, thinking. But right now, it was the only thing I can do. Grover, Thalia, and Nico were talking about something, but all I could hear was the crackling sound of the campfire.

I don't remember how long it took me, but soon enough, I fell asleep. After two dreamless sleeps, they finally found their way this time.

In my dream, I was overlooking miles and miles of grasslands. There were groves of trees, wheat fields, and cornfields scattered all around. I was standing on a wooden board that was attached on a windmill. I felt the cold wind of the night brush through my body. I gazed up at the stars, and the full moon. Then I noticed that there was another source of light coming from the horizon.

Light was coming from what I identified as a small town a few miles away. There were small brick buildings and wooden houses everywhere. Right by the edge of town was a small school. There was a large town hall right at the center of town, and in front of it was a spacious park. Beside the town hall was a tall water tank. I gasped as I recognized the town. I was looking at Smallville when it was still in existence.

Suddenly, a blinding light was coming from the sky. I looked up to see stars shining brightly. They were slowly getting big, and I could feel the heat as they drew nearer. When I finally realized what was happening, large burning rock debris started to crash on Smallville. _Meteor shower_. As fast as the rocks landed on the small town, Smallville was, to put it simply, no more. Smoke curled up from the remains.

When I finally thought it was over, the sky shined brighter than ever. I gaped up just in time to see another one. But this was different. It looked more like a comet. _A shooting star_. The view was amazing, except for the fact that it was hurtling towards me. It crashed just a few feet away from me, leaving a large crater right in front of the windmill. Thick smoke covered whatever was in the middle of the crater. I tried to focus on what it is as it slowly shone brightly, then there was a blinding flash. And my dream shifted.

This time, I was in a small dark room. It was enclosed by brick walls at all sides. After a few seconds, my eyes finally adjusted to the darkness, I noticed a body scrunched up in the corner. I slowly approached it and I choked when I saw the face. _Her face_.

"Annabeth," I whispered. Her eyes widened, which meant she felt my presence. She gazed around for a while. I guess she couldn't see me.

When she finally found me, she stared deep into my eyes. I missed looking at her startling gray eyes. I kneeled right next to her and ran my hand through her hair. She slowly smiled but it instantly faded. "You shouldn't be here, Percy. You have to go. Now," she insisted.

I shook my head. "I can't leave you. Not like this," I said, my voice quivering.

"You have to. They're going to kill you when they find you. I-I can't live with that," she finished, reaching out and holding my other hand.

I was slowly brushing her cheeks when her gaze turned towards behind my shoulder. Before I could react, I felt pain surge through my body. Something hard has hit me in the soft spot of my back.

"Perrrcy!" Annabeth bleated. _Wait. What?_ Annabeth bleated?

"Perrrcy!" Grover bleated, shaking me to wake up.

My eyes jolted open. It was just a dream, but I could still feel the pain coming from my back. I slowly reached behind me and grabbed the thing that was stinging me. I probably rolled out of my sleeping bag and stumbled upon this small rock that hit me right at my Achilles' heel.

"Ugh," I groaned, throwing the rock.

"Are you okay?" Grover asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I said as I stood up, brushing my shirt and jeans. Apollo's chariot was already high above the sky, which meant it was late in the morning. I glanced around. We were surrounded by long grasslands. And just by the outskirts of town, something caught my eye. A windmill.

"So, uh, where are Thalia and Nico?" I asked, turning back to Grover.

"They already started strolling around the town. I stayed behind to wait for you," he replied.

"Oh. Thanks," I smiled. He stared at me with concern all over his face. "I'm fine," I assured him.

He nodded, but I know he wasn't convinced. I was still a bit shaken from my dream, and he can feel it. Watching the meteor shower destroy the small town of Smallville was very disturbing. I wondered how many mortals were there when it occurred. The thought of innocent mortals getting mixed up with the problems of "Western Civilization" made my heart twist. They didn't deserve such bad luck.

"Percy," Grover called.

"Uh, yeah. What?" I blinked.

"Do you want to follow them?" he asked.

"You can go ahead. I just need to go and check something first," I answered. The lone star that crashed on the outskirts of town by the windmill made me wonder. I needed to check the crash site to see if my dream was correct. Grover studied my face first before nodding.

The windmill was about ten miles from the town. When I finally reached the clearing, I was half hoping not to see a crater. But to my dismay, there it was, just about the size of Charybdis' mouth. At first glance, it just looked like any ordinary crater you see everyday when you decide to knock your head onto the wall because you forgot to be on time to meet your _always-on-time-very-punctual-regularly-follows-her-schedule_ girlfriend. Just a thousand times larger.

I was about to turn around when I noticed something. Two somethings actually. They looked like two small orbs placed right at the center of the crater. They were glowing faintly because of the sunlight. I slid down the crater to pick them up. Now, you may be thinking, _way to go Percy. Just go and pick up two glowing orbs in the middle of a crater that a possible shooting star created. They're completely harmless. _But hey, I've faced way more dangerous stuff before. Two glowing orbs are far down on my list of the most freaking things I've ever seen.

I picked up the orbs that were just the size of billiard balls, and to my surprise, they were soft. Squishy to be more specific. I've been very stressed lately, so give me some slack if I decide to take my time squeezing the balls with my hands. I was actually enjoying myself. I don't know how much time has passed but I eventually decided to check back with the others. I placed a ball in each of my front pockets and made my way back to town.

During daylight, the damage to the town can be seen very clearly. It looked just like that time when I accidentally stumbled on Annabeth's architectural model of camp. But this was life-size. The air smelled of burnt wood and something that I know but didn't want to think about it.

I took my time wandering about the town. I noticed a few bones that were covered with piles of bricks and wood. I guess there were people staying here when it happened. I tried to think of what they could've done to deserve such cruel fates.

I finally found Grover, Thalia, and Nico slumped on the grass in a wide clearing. From what I remember in my dream, this is the park, or what used to be the park.

"Kelp Face, where have you been?" Thalia asked exasperated.

I flopped down next to them and explained my dream, but I left the part out about seeing Annabeth.

"Huh. A meteor shower," Thalia wondered.

"Yeah. Weird, right?" I said.

"But why did you go out of town?" Grover asked.

"There was this other one which was a little different from the others, and it crashed right beside the windmill where I was overlooking everything. In my dream, I felt a presence coming from it. Like... like _it_ was alive," I slowly spoke. "Obviously, I had to check it out," I finished.

"You're not talking about aliens, right? Now that would definitely be creepy," Nico said spookily. We all shuddered at the thought.

"Well, did you find anything?" Thalia asked.

I grabbed the two orbs from my pockets and tossed each to Thalia and Nico. "Here."

When Thalia caught it, she immediately passed it to Grover. "Ew... It's slimy."

"What is this?" Grover asked as he squeezed the orb. Nico was grinning when he squeezed his. I tried to avoid about thinking what was going on his mind. This kid has issues.

"I have absolutely no idea," I said. "I found them at the crash site."

"Great job, Seaweed Brain. Just go and pick up some strange items that probably came from the sky," Thalia mocked. I glared at her as she stuck her tongue out.

"Anyway, do you still have some acorns?" I asked, turning to Grover.

He nodded. "Of course! I never run out of them," he said delightfully, grabbing some out of his shoulder bag. He threw them in the air and they landed on the ground. But before he could start playing with his pipes, the scent in the air changed. Our bodies stiffened as we caught the smell.

"What is that?" Nico asked dreamily as he smelled the sweet aroma in the air. It felt like we were all being hypnotized. I tried to hold my breath but the scent was too tempting.

"Food..." Grover mumbled as his head swayed uncontrollably.

"It's-it's..." Thalia mumbled until she fell unconscious on the ground. Nico and Grover followed suit. I straightened my body, but I couldn't hold my eyes from closing. The last thing I could remember was seeing Annabeth smiling at me before drifting into unconsciousness. And I was rewarded with a dream.

I was back at the temple where Krios was staying. He now had a throne right at the center. His war helm, with a ram's horn curling on either side, rested on his lap. The only light in the room were coming from his pale glow and the torches on the pillars. With the faint light, I could easily see the crumbled pillars on the floor and pews turned upside down on the sides. Then I realized something. _It wasn't a temple. It was a church._

Krios was sitting on his throne as a dracaenae approached him and squatted.

"Speak," Krios ordered.

"The trap _hasss_ been _ssse_t, my lord," the dracaenae informed him.

"And Laelaps?" he asked sternly.

"He _hasss_ recovered. He _isss_ on _hisss_ way."

"Nice. Very nice, indeed," he laughed evilly. Just then, a loud howl pierced the echoing of his laugh in the hall.

I woke up just as Nico slapped me. I looked at his very amused face. "I never get enough of that," he smirked. I rolled my eyes. Even though I couldn't feel any pain, _thank you invulnerability_, the sudden jerk of my head still fazes me.

It was already dark. We were out cold for a few hours. I sat upright to see Thalia and Grover rubbing their heads. "What happened?" Thalia asked a little disconcerted.

"It was a trap. I think it was some sort of sleeping gas," I said as I explained to them my dream.

"And Laelaps. He's-" I started but Grover cut me off.

"He's near," he said, his eyes widening. "He's coming. Fast. _Very fast_." He started chattering his teeth as soon as he finished.

"Let's go," I said urgently. I started to run for the truck when Thalia grabbed my shoulder.

"We can't use the truck. There's no way to get it pass through the town," she said.

"And he's coming from that direction. We have to run," Grover added, his voice quivering.

"We won't be able to outrun him. You know that," I said. Thalia's face became white.

"We'll have to face him," she stated, looking away. I glanced at Nico as he looked down, his face very pale. We all knew we had no chance to stand against Laelaps. For Zeus' sake! He's completely invulnerable.

I approached him. "Can you shadow travel all of us?" I asked.

He shook his head. "Taking one is already very risky. Two, with sheer luck. Three, impossible."

"Can't we try?"

"No," he said morosely. "We can't risk losing someone forever in the shadow world. They will never be found again."

I sighed. I tried to think of any more ideas, but just my luck, I had no more time. Laelaps howled as he jumped on top of a crumbled building.

I drew Riptide as Thalia and Nico drew their weapons. I glanced at each one of them, they tried to look strong, but I knew them well enough to know that they were both shaking in the inside. When I turned to Grover, his eyes were wide, but this was one of those moments where he smelled very good enchiladas, or he had a great idea. I hoped it was the latter.

"What is it?" I whispered. Before Grover could answer, Laelaps started to charge. We planned on charging back but Grover stopped us.

"No. We have to run," he stated anxiously.

We all looked at him bemused. "What?"

"Just go!" he insisted. At first, we hesitated. But after seeing Laelaps nearing, we decided to go for running away.

"What exactly is wrong with your head, goat boy?" Thalia sneered as we ran towards the cornfield.

"Blah-ha-ha," he bleated angrily. "For your information, I have a great idea!"

"Grover!" I yelled as I heard Laelaps drawing nearer.

"Oh, right. Percy, you should shadow travel with Nico. Thalia and I will stay behind."

"What?" the three of us shouted.

"That is your _great idea_? To _kill_ us?" Thalia asked infuriated.

"He won't _kill_ us," Grover stated.

"Grover. Please explain. Now," I said trying to control my voice. We were running for our lives, and here we were arguing.

"He... he's just after you, Percy," he said, trying to catch his breath. "He won't harm us as long as we don't stand in his way."

"How do you know?" I asked.

"Well, for one thing, he keeps saying _Percy Jackson, Percy Jackson, Percy Jackson._ That means he's after you. And another thing he's saying, _Jackson Percy, Jackson Percy, Jackson Percy_. That assures us you're he's only target. He sure is dumb."

I tried to laugh but it wasn't exactly the best time. I turned to Thalia. "What do you think?"

She scowled. She didn't like the idea, but she agreed anyway. "Go."

"Will you guys be fine?" I asked.

"Yes, Kelp Head. We'll use the truck. Just go," she insisted.

"Oh, and don't forget our bags," I smiled.

She glared at me, gritting her teeth. "Go!" I nodded and caught up with Nico who was running ahead.

"Nico," I said, running beside him.

"We're really going to go with this, huh," he answered.

"Yeah."

He nodded. He grabbed my arm and we jumped through the shadows of the cornfield. I took one glance behind me to see Grover and Thalia stopping before we shifted into the shadows. After tens of times shadow traveling, I still couldn't get used to the rush. When we finally shifted back to the real world, we crashed onto a wall and fell back on the ground.

"Ow. I hate it when that happens," Nico grumbled.

"Nico?" a familiar voice asked. "And... Percy?" she asked as her face hovered above me, her red hair falling on her face.

"Hey, Rachel."

* * *

**AN:** Finally, I've fitted Rachel into the story. The next chapter will be awesome. Yeah, I, myself, am excited. 'Cause (SPOILER), there will be a prophecy!

I hope you get the idea why I used Smallville. You know, the meteor shower. And the one that felt alive? Okay, if you don't get the point, never mind.

Anyway, a few notes (again), the windmill (if you're familiar with Smallville) is the one in Chandler's field. The view is amazing. I think the best view from the windmill is the one from Season 4 Episode 20: Ageless.

I'll try to update soon. The next chapter is still under works.

That's it. Please review!


	10. Chapter 10

Hey, guys. I had nothing to do, so I just felt like updating this one. I just got really excited because of the prophecy, and because I'll be leaving you all with a cliffy. Yeah, I just love it.

This chapter was supposed to be very long, but I thought that I'd rather divide it into two parts. This is the first part and is very short. Just around 1,200 words, the shortest I've written yet.

I'll be updating my others story Another Promise next, and I'm writing a Halloween special. I'll probably upload the next chapter sooner if I get a satisfying number of reviews. If not, it will take a lot longer. 'Cause I just love leaving you guys hanging.

Thank you for the frequent readers and reviewers.

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own anything.

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Chapter 10: The Prophecy, Part 1**

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For some strange reason, we ended up here in Rachel's apartment at New Hampshire. Okay, back up a little. Remember that time I told you that her room was twice the size of our apartment? Well, this one is twice that. Which means... this is four times the size of our apartment. _Wow. I just did the math._ I glanced at Rachel and Nico who were looking oddly at me. I guess the astonishment is being shown on my face.

"So, you're telling me, you've been visiting Rachel _everyday_?" I asked. This was a little out of nowhere. Nico and Rachel just told me that they've been hanging out ever since the war; with Rachel hating Clarion Ladies Academy, and Nico being bored. And they seem to be getting along pretty well.

"Uh, not _everyday_. Just when I get bored," Nico answered, giving me a very strange look.

"Which happens to be _everyday_," Rachel elaborated, making Nico blush. And Rachel, realizing what she just said, also blushed.

So, apparently, _that_ strange reason on how we ended up here is that Nico kept visiting Rachel to "play in her game room"- which I got to see when Rachel gave us the tour, and I have to agree with Nico. It was irresistible- and when we were running away from Laelaps, he didn't think of where to go yet. And what happens to pop out of his memory is Rachel's place. And here we are. Now, I'm seriously weird-ing myself out. I'm becoming analytical. And I don't even use that word!

I laid-back on the plush, leather couch, and studied Rachel and Nico. There was something going on between the two of them, and somehow, they themselves were clueless. It was hopeless since the three of us were, so I dropped the thought.

"O-kay," I said awkwardly, tapping my lap with my fingers. We sat in awkward silence for awhile, forgetting that we just left two of our friends with a _vicious-always-captures-his-target-man-hunting-monster-slaying_ dog.

"So, what are you going to do now?" Rachel asked, finally breaking the awkward silence. We've already explained to her that Annabeth has been kidnapped and we're on our way to get her back. But now that she has asked that very dreadful question, I realized that we have no idea on what to do.

"Uh, we actually have no idea," I said truthfully.

She shook her head and made a _tsk-tsk_ sound. "Percy, don't you think you ended up here for a reason?"

It took awhile for me to understand what she meant. "Oh, right. You think you can give us a prophecy?"

She smiled and nodded. "Just ask away."

"Um, how can we save Annabeth?" I asked.

Nico and I stood quickly as Rachel doubled over on her couch, and stood up straight. Her eyes were glowing serpent green as she began to speak with a very hollow voice:

"_You must unleash the sight that was lost._

_And return them safely to the rightful host._

_Your journey is to come to an end._

_To follow the guide that you ought to send._

_Retrieve what is most precious of all._

_But face a disaster, and suffer the worst fall._"

Nico and I prepared ourselves to catch Rachel, expecting her to collapse. But something strange happened. She remained very still, and then she slowly moved her head, like in the movies where a statue moves their head in a creaking manner. Watching those kinds of things give me goosebumps, but seeing Rachel doing the same thing is far worse. The Oracle regarded me with her scary eyes, and they began to glow very brightly. I was already very frightened, I may have wet my pants. But what happened next may have caused me to actually die in horror.

The whole living room reflected the glow of her eyes, and I suddenly started to have visions. It was like I was scrolling pictures in my computer at a very impossible speed. I saw myself slaying different monsters, and some of them I have never seen before. I wanted to just close my eyes, but for some reason I couldn't stop my eyes from peeling. The more I tried to resist, the harder they were to control. The visions appeared even more rapidly, and then they just suddenly stopped, showing me one last vision that took my breath away.

After hours- but it was actually just a few seconds- I felt myself weakening from the visions, especially the last one. The glow in the room instantly vanished as Rachel closed her eyes and collapsed. I was too stunned to react, but Nico and I managed to catch her at the very last second.

We helped her sit back on the couch. She held her head as her voice returned to normal, "What happened?"

I was still trembling, and I noticed that Nico was, too. He probably saw visions like I did. We sat back on our respective couches trying to figure out what just happened, totally forgetting about the prophecy.

"I... you gave us a prophecy," I started, my voice quivering.

"But, then you started to glow, and... and there were these visions," Nico added as he laid his head on his hands.

Rachel looked at me with her green eyes, but not the _serpent-green-full-of-doom-scary-Oracle_ eyes, but back to the normal green that they were supposed to be. She tried to smile, but her eyes showed what she really felt. Fear, terror, misery, heartache.

"You... uh, did you see visions, too?" I asked her. She looked down and nodded. We sat in silence again, but the awkwardness was replaced with horror. We were all too shocked to speak. The windows were closed, and the air conditioner was turned off, but my body felt very cold and I was shivering. This was something new, and I've never heard of anything like this happening before. I actually think that we were lucky enough not to be insane after seeing those visions.

"What did you guys see?" I asked when I finally recovered.

"Well, there were these visions that I was killing a bunch of monsters. And there was this other one-" he stopped as he looked at me, his face very pale.

"That's what I saw, too. Monsters being killed, and they just keep appearing. Then I saw something else, like a... like a cauldron. And something misty green was spinning in it. Also," Rachel started and looked at me with sympathy, "there was this last one."

I nodded as I tried to relax, but I couldn't. They just confirmed my worst fear, the last vision I saw were the same with theirs and it was not just any illusion. This was not a prophecy that could have double meanings. It was a vision, and it is going to happen. I just don't know when.

"I'm going to die."

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**AN:** Now, that's where I'll end it, for now. If you want the next chapter to be up sooner, then you better review. I'll leave you with that.

Sorry for being a little rude, I just have a hangover. Freaking beers. But I stand my ground, the next chapter will be up, IF AND ONLY IF, I get a satisfying number of reviews. I just found out that I get a ton of visitors everyday and only a few- actually just 3- bother to review.

Inspiration is the foundation of writing. And you readers are my inspiration. If you don't review, then I don't know if I actually have readers. So why bother writing, right? Review and be heard!


	11. Chapter 11

Finally, here is the update. Sorry for the long wait. I have received a lot of mails pressuring me to update, and it didn't help. But anyway, here it is.

Thank you all for reviewing! I suddenly had a surge of reviews after the last chapter. I think I'm kinda liking the idea. So, if you guys want me to keep updating, keep reviewing!

I'll stop here now 'cause I've let you all wait far too long.

**DISCLAIMER:** Does this even matter?

**

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Chapter 11: The Prophecy, Part 2**

* * *

We decided to stay here for the night. Rachel's apartment has 3 rooms. One for her, one for her parents to stay in when they visit, and one guest room. I called dibs on the guest room, so Nico ended up staying in Rachel's parents' room. I was still being haunted by the visions I saw, and I didn't want to sleep yet because I didn't want to them in a nightmare. So, I grabbed the two orbs in my pockets. With no other source of light, they shined brightly like stars. I started juggling them in the dark and played for awhile, but soon enough, the fatigue caught up with me.

I put the orbs back in my pockets and laid down on the bed, but I was still not ready to sleep. I tried to think of other things, trying hard to ignore the thoughts of the visions. But they just kept haunting me. And distracting myself with the prophecy just made everything worse.

It felt like the last line was connected to the visions. _But face a disaster, and suffer the worst fall._ I know prophecies have double meanings. I already thought that I was going to die because of a prophecy multiple times, but this time there were visions. And I doubt seeing yourself die has any other meaning. Unless I had a long lost identical twin, or a clone. I know the latter is impossible, but I was actually hoping that the first one could be a possibility.

At least the fifth line was comforting. _Retrieve what is most precious of all_. It meant we'll be successful in getting back Annabeth. Now, we just have to figure out how, and what the other lines of the prophecy meant. As I was very deep in my thoughts, I somehow managed to fall asleep. And yes, I had a dream.

I was in a deep part of a forest. I haven't been here before, but somehow I knew that I was back in Kansas. Right in front of me was a small campfire, and Thalia was curled up in her sleeping bag. A few feet away, I noticed the old gray truck parked.

"Perrrcy!"

My dream-self was somehow lagging and it took some time for me to look at Grover who was sitting just next to me. His face was full of mixed emotions. He was happy but sad. He was enlightened but confused. He was... you get the point.

"Grover, what happened?" I asked as my dream-self kept glancing at trees around us. It was making me dizzy, if it is even possible when you're asleep.

"Percy, focus! You're too distracted," he said a little bit agitated.

"Sorry, you were saying?" I asked, looking at him as I managed to take control.

"Uh, I haven't said anything yet. But anyway, when you and Nico disappeared, Laelaps went to another direction. I guess he's headed to wherever you ended up. As for us, we went back to the truck and drove for awhile. And because Thalia doesn't trust me driving, we had to camp for the night. Now, here I am taking watch," he grumbled. "Where are you anyway?"

I told him that we were in Rachel's apartment. I decided not to tell him about why we ended up there because I wasn't really sure if it was because of some god helping us, or Nico just thinking about Rachel's place. Then I explained to him the prophecy, and the visions we saw.

"I-I saw them, too," he said nervously as he bit the tip of a stick he just picked up.

"What? How?"

"I don't know. But I guess it has something to do with our empathy link. We were just driving on the road when the visions suddenly popped out of nowhere."

"How much did you see?" I asked, trying to sound emotionless.

He hesitated for awhile, eating the rest of the stick, before answering. He looked at me straight in the eyes, his face full of sympathy and sadness. "Everything."

I nodded awkwardly. I remained very silent because there was nothing else to say. He knew what I saw, and he knew how I felt. And for some reason, Grover felt guilty. "Percy, I'm sorry."

"Why? It's not your fault that I'm going to die, right? Unless, you're planning to kill me," I said a little bit too harsh. I understood he was just trying to comfort me and I felt bad for seeing him offended, but he forced a smile anyway. He knew how I felt, and why I was acting that way. But I apologized anyway. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," he smiled.

"Does Thalia know?" I asked.

"No," he shook his head. "But she does know that something is wrong. She noticed me stare at nothing when I saw the visions. I think we should tell her."

I nodded. "We'll talk about it with Chiron at camp. I'll send Mrs. O'Leary to pick you up tomorrow."

"How about the truck?" he wondered. I thought about it for a moment. I didn't have a car yet, and here was a truck given to me as a gift. But I decided to let it go. It's not that the truck was a piece of junk, but it's not exactly the kind of ride you want to use in the streets of New York.

I shrugged. "You can do anything with it." His eyes suddenly lit with excitement. Oh, gods. I hope he's not going to do what I'm thinking. "Uh, you're not planning to eat it, are you?"

He raised an eyebrow and looked at me with confusion like I was crazy. Crazy that I doubted him of not eating the truck. "I'll see you tomorrow, Percy," he grinned mischievously. That goat-boy has one evil mind.

I woke up early that morning, like _the-sun-is-not-yet-up-and-the-rooster-has-not-crowed-yet _early. But somehow, I was the last one of us three to wake up. Rachel was already in the kitchen making breakfast while Nico was in the game room. Gee, I wonder what he's doing there. It was very tempting to play along with him, but I decided to take a shower instead.

While I was in the bathroom, I took the liberty to send Chiron an IM, informing him of everything that we've gone through and that we were about to meet up back at camp. After taking a shower, I went to the living room and flopped on the couch. I grabbed the remote from the table and turned the TV on. The channel on was Nickelodeon, and miraculously Spongebob's opening song started to play.

"Are ye ready, kids?" the hideous looking pirate asked. I groaned. What is wrong with the mortal world?

"Aye, aye captain!" voices of invisible kids answered. This isn't exactly the kind of entertainment I was looking for. I was about to scroll through the channels when Rachel came and sat next to me. She grabbed a bread toast for herself as she placed a plate of them on the table.

"Cool. Just on time," she said gleefully as the song started. "Oooh, who lives in a pineapple under the sea?"

"Uh, you want to watch this?" I asked. She raised an eyebrow and looked at me like I was crazy. Why do people keep doing that lately?

"Of course! It's Spongebob!" she exclaimed like that explains everything.

"Exactly! Who watches _that_?" I said very disgusted, pointing at the screen that was showing a square yellow sponge that had weird oversized eyes, a Pinocchio nose, and a wide smile that showed his two bunny teeth. He was splitting into four parts over and over again, and trying to reform over and over again.

"What? He's funny. And he lives _under the sea_. Shouldn't you like him for that?"

"I think that's what's wrong. The show is making fun of sea creatures. They're not stupid and goofy like _that_!" I said, pointing again at the screen that was showing Spongebob talking nonsense to a pink blubber-looking creature named Patrick. And they say he's supposed to be a starfish. Starfishes don't look like that!

"Well, you could rant all you want, but I'm still watching," she huffed, crossing her arms on her chest.

"Fine," I grumbled. I couldn't argue with the owner of the place, so we watched the show for a half hour, and surprisingly, I actually found it very funny. I may have laughed once or twice. Or even more. But that doesn't mean I'm over my resentment. The show is still disrespectful for the creatures of the sea, unlike The Little Mermaid or Finding Nemo. Now, those are movies worth watching. And strangely, I somehow ended up humming Under The Sea.

"Uh, Perce? You okay?" Nico asked, who came to watch with us halfway through the show. And he also liked watching Spongebob, another thing he and Rachel have in common. It seems that Rachel has somehow rubbed off some of her cheerfulness on Nico for the time they've spent together. Ever since Bianca's death, he just turned sullen and solitary even though he's still very young to experience such emotions. I couldn't help but be happy for him to finally find someone who he can treat like Bianca.

"Huh? Yeah," I answered.

"You sure? You were _humming_," he said like it was the weirdest thing ever to happen. I frowned as Rachel went back to the kitchen, snickering. "So, what are we going to do now?"

I told him about my dream with Grover. "We'll meet them back at camp and talk to Chiron. He might know what the prophecy means, and... the visions." He nodded in understanding. Rachel called us to help her with the plates of pancakes and cups of hot chocolate. We set it all in the dining table, along with a bottle of pancake syrup and block of butter. We stayed for another hour, eating and chatting.

"Live Free or Die? Isn't that a movie of Bruce Willis?" Nico asked dumbfounded. I forgot where our conversation started, but now we were in state mottos, specifically New Hampshire's very own Live Free or Die. And now we're about to change to another topic. Movies.

"It's Live Free or Die _Hard_," I corrected.

"Oh," he said open-mouthed. "Well, I don't really care. Even though Bruce is already very old, the movie was still awesome!"

"What do you guys think if they made a movie about us?" Rachel asked out of nowhere. Now that I think about it, I never really thought about it before.

I shrugged. "I don't know. I mean, our lives aren't really that awesome to be made into a movie in the first place. But if they did, I doubt they'll get the details right. We've seen enough proof of that already."

We sat in silence, and now I remembered where our conversation began. It all started with which was better between honey and strawberry syrup, and weirdly ended with a movie about us. I smiled at the thought of how everything connected. I glanced at Nico and Rachel who were both giving me weird looks, _again_. As we sat in more silence, events of last night came back to me.

"Uh, guys. Can we keep this as a secret?" I asked hesitantly as I tapped the table with my fingers.

"What do you mean?" Nico asked.

"You know. The prophecy. The visions."

"But Percy. You have to tell Chiron. He can help you," Rachel said sympathetically.

"No. I meant... Annabeth."

They both studied me for awhile, before nodding. They knew my intention, and I was glad they understood. I forced a smile. And finally, it was time to leave. We went to the living room and made our farewell.

"Thanks a lot, Rach. I'll see you soon," I smiled. She nodded and smiled back.

"Good luck. If you need me, you can just drop by anytime," she said.

"Sure," I answered. Rachel turned off the lights as I grabbed Nico's arm. We waved goodbye, and jumped into the shadows.

Even though it was still very early, camp was almost in full swing. Campers were already doing some activities. There were a few who were jogging around camp, some were playing in the volleyball courts, some were having canoe races in the lake, and I noticed the Stoll brothers, leading a few campers from the Hermes cabin, running back to camp. They must have sneaked out again to grab packs of Coke.

We went to check on the armory, looking for Jake. When we found it empty, Nico left me to check up on the Hephaestus cabin. He's been spending a lot of time lately with Jake. He mentioned something about them making something. Next to Beckendorf, Jake is the best armorsmith. And after losing Beckendorf, Jake has replaced his place as counselor and chief smith. I wonder what they've been forging.

I thought of checking up on Alex, but I doubted that he's already awake by this time. So I went to check on another friend of mine in the sword arena. Before I reached the entrance to the arena, a big black block slammed into me. And the next thing I knew, I was lying on my back on the ground drenched with gallons of drool.

"Woof!" Mrs. O'Leary barked. She started jumping from side to side, causing the ground to shake. She wanted to play fetch.

"Hey, girl. Good to see you, too," I said as I stood up and wiped off the drool in my face. Getting wet with drool made me wonder what it was made of. It was somehow not included in the _I'm-supposed-to-be-wet-but-I'm-not-because-I'm-awesome_ list.

I grabbed a bronze shield and tossed it across the arena. I played fetch with her a few more times because she insisted, before I asked her to get Grover and Thalia in Kansas, and bring them back. She bounded straight into the shadows in the wall, and I was left alone in the arena. I took the solitary moment to do some training while waiting for the others. I was busily hacking dummy after the dummy when I suddenly felt I was being watched. I stopped and turned to face a twelve-year old looking girl silently watching me.

"What-" I started, but I gasped as she smiled. I noticed who the little auburn haired girl was as her silvery yellow eyes glowed. "La-lady Artemis," I stammered.

"Hello, Percy Jackson," she greeted. Her voice was so old, it came out very weird as she spoke looking like a twelve-year old. I tried to appear as calm as possible, but inside I was trembling. I hope this didn't have anything to do with Thalia spending a lot of time with three boys. I remembered the time Artemis turned the Stoll brothers into jackalopes last year during the Halloween party. Even though they were turned back into their normal selves and looked like they enjoyed it, I definitely didn't want to be turned into one and be hunted down by a group of hunters equipped with electrically charged arrows.

"Do not be frightened, Percy. I am only here to aid you on your quest," she promised as if reading my mind.

"Uh, not to be rude. But why?" I asked as respectful as I can. I've been used to gods helping me on quests, especially when they were somehow involved. But I was confused to why Artemis would help me in this one. She isn't really known to be fond of boys.

"Well, for one thing, you have saved our civilization from the hands of Kronos. And I myself am indebted to you twice for helping me when I was held captive by Atlas."

"But, you have already given me gifts as rewards."

"Yes. But we are still in gratitude of the things you have done. Although you are a _boy_, Athena has convinced me to help you nonetheless. And even though her daughter has chosen... _to go astray_," she said disapprovingly as I blushed. I know I was the one she was referring to. "She is still a fine maiden, and I wish to help her as well."

So, it was Athena after all. She's just helping us indirectly. I forced a smile and tried to thank her but it came out as, "Um... okay."

She nodded. "I am here to help you understand the prophecy you have been given."

"How-" I began but she waved her hand.

"Have you forgotten. My twin brother is the god of prophecies. Now, do you still have the two orbs?"

"Uh," I brought them out from my pockets and held them in the air. "Here."

"Good. Those are Laelaps' real eyes," she said as a smile playfully crept into her face. I stared at her for awhile as I tried to sink in what she just said.

"What?" I screamed, dropping the orbs, or _eyes._ No wonder they were squishy and slimy. I stared at them and shivered, remembering that I've held them time and time again. I looked back at Artemis who was now frowning at me. "Sorry," I apologized, hesitantly picking up the eyes and shoving them quickly in my pockets.

Artemis kept frowning at me. When she was about to continue, Mrs. O'Leary suddenly appeared from the corner and crashed against the bleachers. Grover fell to the ground, clutching his stomach and covering his mouth like he was about to puke. Thalia, on the other hand, swiftly jumped off of Mrs. O'Leary and rubbed her behind the ears.

"_Stomach... truck... so full..._" Grover mumbled as he ran out of the arena, making sure he got out before he threw up.

"That's what you get for chomping the truck!" Thalia yelled as I also clutched my stomach, but from laughing. She smiled at me and then turned to Artemis. "My lady," she bowed.

Artemis smiled at her lieutenant, then her face became serious again as she turned back to me. "Percy, by now, you should know what to do. That's all the help I can give," she said turning her back towards us. We looked away as she appeared in her fully divine form, and vanished.

"What did she talk to you about?" Thalia asked. Before I could answer, Grover came back.

"Much better. Hey, Percy," he smiled. I rolled my eyes. I can't believe he had the guts to actually munch the truck.

I turned back to Thalia. "You'll find out later. Come on. We're supposed to meet with Chiron," I answered, walking out of the arena. They followed me and we went to The Big House where Nico was waiting by the railing of the porch. Chiron and Mr. D were already busily playing pinochle at the card table.

"Ah, so the brats are back," Mr. D said without looking up from his cards. "How very valiant of you to come back when you all know I haven't given you any permission to go on this quest. I should just turn all of you into puny little grapes and squish the vino out of you. However, Chiron has convinced me not to."

"Extracting them into wine will accredit you two offenses, adding another hundred years to-" Chiron put in but Mr. D cut him.

"Yes, yes. Like how you kids say nowadays: Whatever. And since I am in a very good mood today, I shall leave you all," he continued, standing up. He then turned to me, "You should be thankful I'm being very lenient, Penny." I groaned inwardly. He hasn't changed one bit, but I'm still thankful he's being considerate. And with that, he left us and went for a stroll around camp.

I turned to Chiron, giving him a questioning look. He smiled, "I've made sure he has won the last few rounds of pinochle."

We proceeded with talking about the quest. I sat across Chiron while Thalia and Grover took the other two seats. Nico just leaned against the railing as I told them what the prophecy said and what Artemis just told me. They all made faces of disgust as I put the orbs on the table and told them that according to Artemis, the orbs were actually Laelaps' eyes.

"Yuck! And you kept on playing with them?" Thalia said, staring at me revoltingly. I blushed and tried to open my mouth to speak but nothing came out. Thalia rolled her eyes. "Seaweed Brain."

I looked away from her and turned to Grover who was staring at the eyes hungrily. "Uh, G-man, you can't eat them," I said waving my hand in front of him.

"What?" he blinked.

"Kelp Head here," Thalia said, pointing a finger at me. "Told you, Goat Boy," she continued as she pointed at him with the same finger. "That you can't eat those," she finished, pointing at the eyes on the table. "Besides, you've already eaten a whole truck."

"I didn't!" he protested. "I didn't eat the _whole_ truck," he muttered, his voice very soft.

"Grover?" Chiron wondered.

"Well, I... I just chomped a few parts," he stammered. Chiron sighed, looking like he wanted to smack himself in the forehead.

"What exactly are we suppose to do with them?" Nico asked, changing the subject.

"I don't know. Artemis just told me they're Laelaps' real eyes, and that that was all the help she can give me," I answered.

"It wasn't really helpful," Nico mumbled.

"Not exactly," Chiron added. "What was the first line of the prophecy again?"

"_You must unleash the sight that was lost_," I replied. He just smiled and stared at me like he was waiting for something. I hate it when he does that. "Oh," I said open-mouthed, finally getting it.

"What is it?" Nico asked.

"The eyes are what the line was referring to," I said.

"Oh," he said, having the same reaction as I did.

"Now, we just have to figure out how to return them to Laelaps," Thalia said.

"Like what the second line said," Grover added. Chiron nodded, smiling, like he was proud of us that we figured things out.

"So, how are we supposed to do that?" Nico asked. "We can't just poke his eyes out and replace them with those."

"Ew... What's wrong with you?" Thalia fussed.

"What?" Nico retorted. Thalia and Nico kept quipping at each other, so I ignored them. I looked weirdly at Grover who was playfully rolling the eyes, then I turned to Chiron. He was just smiling at me. He knew what we were supposed to do, but he was waiting for me to figure it out. Did I say that I hated it when he does that? I'm not exactly the kind of person who knows what to do at situations like this. I'm the kind of person who make decisions on impulse, according to Annabeth, and I've been lucky until now to survive through all the life-threatening situations.

I tried to remember stories about Laelaps, but there was never anything mentioned on how to stop him. He was unstoppable. He has always captured his target, except for the Teumessian Fox. I was about to give up when it finally hit me. There was a way to stop Laelaps. And Zeus did it.

"I know what to do," I gasped, surprised at myself that I figured it out. Thalia and Nico stopped with their squabble, Grover paused from rolling the eyes, and Chiron just kept on smiling. They all looked at me, waiting. "We're going to visit an old friend."

"Where?" Grover asked. I smiled because we were together then when we last saw her.

"Aunty Em's Garden Gnome Emporium."

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**AN:** I really wanted to leave you guys with a cliffy, but I decided not to 'cause I had you all waiting for a very long time.

Anyway, there's no more surprise what the next chapter will be about. But there will still be a lot of surprises left. :D

Now, like I said earlier, if you want me to update, review! And yes, this is a blackmail.


	12. Chapter 12

Hey, guys. I'm back! I'm so sorry if I got you all waiting for a long time. I just got bombarded with a lot of things. My aunt just got operated with her larynx, and now she can't speak for two months. I've been helping her with a few stuffs. Seriously, what she needs is an ASL tutor. And my parents are also coming to the city. I had to fix my place.

Anyways, thank you all for the reviews! You guys are awesome. And as requested, I'll stop with the blackmail. But please don't stop with the reviews. It makes my heart all fluttery. :D And thanks to anonymous **Jeff** for that awesome message. You're absolutely right! I wish I could've thanked you properly, but I have no way of contacting you.

I don't know if you read that long babbling of mine, and I don't really mind if you didn't since I got you all waiting for so long. I'll stop here.

**DISCLAIMER:** Seriously, this is useless.

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**Chapter 12: The Ugly Ducklings**

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_"We're going to visit an old friend."_

_"Where?" Grover asked. I smiled because we were together then when we last saw her._

_"Aunty Em's Garden Gnome Emporium."_

* * *

"What? Why? You still remember what happened the last time we went there, right?" Grover asked with no pause. Yeah, who could forget that night. We almost ended up as garden gnomes for Medusa's garden. Before I could answer, everyone started talking at the same time.

"What are you talking about?" Thalia asked.

"You've been there before?" Nico added.

"Percy, can you please explain," Chiron requested.

"...don't want to go back there."

"...Kelp Head?"

"Why? What...

"...tell us."

"Foood..."

"Guys!" I snapped. "_Please_, just let me talk," I pleaded. They all looked at me, finally shutting up. I sighed and told them our encounter with Medusa on our very first quest five years ago. Grover was nervously playing with the eyes as I explained what my idea was. While I was talking, I kept glancing at Chiron who smiled at me reassuringly.

"Are you sure it will work?" Nico asked.

"Maybe," I shrugged. "I mean, Zeus did it."

"He's a _god_, Perce. We're not," Thalia pointed out.

"That's why we're going to get Medusa's help," I answered.

"You think she'll help us turn Laelaps into stone after what you did to her? I sure won't if you cut my head off," she said.

"That's because you won't be able to since you'll be dead by then," Nico stated. Grover and I tried to hold our laughs as Chiron held Thalia on her seat.

"Well, if she won't help us, we'll just have to cut her head off again," I said, resuming the matter at hand. I know it won't be easier this time around, but they seemed to like the idea, except for Grover.

"Can't we just ask the gods to return the head you sent them?" Grover asked, trying hardly to persuade us to not return there.

"What do you mean?" Chiron asked. Grover then explained how impertinent I was by sending the gods a box with Medusa's head in it. Chiron shook his head disapprovingly while Nico and Thalia didn't look surprised. They already knew I had a major talent for ticking off the gods.

"Actually, dad gave it back," I informed them. I told them how Poseidon returned Medusa's head back then to help me decide on what future to take, and that I left it with my mom for her to use. They all stared at me grimly trying to figure out what my mom could've used it for. I smiled wickedly at the thought of her concrete life-size sculpture entitled _The Poker Player_. Grover's expression told me that he knew, and he looked like he can't decide if he'll smile or frown. "And she told me she disposed of it," I finished. We sat in silence as we thought things through.

"So, we're really going through with this," Nico said.

Instead of answering his question, I turned to Chiron. "Chiron?"

He stroked his chin while he thought about it. Then he nodded. "Well, the plan seems to be plausible. Just be careful."

I each looked at the others. Thalia was staring seriously at the table while Nico played with the eyes. Grover was muttering something about flying goats and his Uncle Ferdinand. I thought for a while as we sat in silence. "I guess we'd better get going," I spoke up.

"Don't you think we should figure out the rest of the prophecy?" Thalia asked.

"It mentioned something about our journey coming to an end and finding a guide. I think we'll find out along the way," I replied.

"I meant the last line," she said softly, shifting her gaze on me.

"Oh," I muttered. I felt myself tremble, and my hands were shaking uncontrollably. I gazed at Nico and Grover who gave me looks of sympathy. I somehow forgot about the visions, and I haven't told Chiron and Thalia yet. I knew Chiron will be able to help me understand them, but it felt like understanding the visions will just make things worse. Nico gave me a slight nod towards the direction of Chiron and Thalia. I guess it was time that they found out about it.

I was about to tell them but Chiron spoke up first. "Do not worry about it too much, Percy. You yourself know that prophecies have double meanings," he assured me.

I avoided his gaze. "That's not what's troubling me. There's... there's something else."

"What is it?" he asked with a concerned look on his face. And so, I told them about the incident we had with Rachel regarding the visions the Oracle showed us. Nico and Grover shifted uncomfortably on their seats as they added their own bits of the story. We also told them what we saw in the visions but we didn't go into too much detail. Thalia looked like she just solved a very hard math problem. Chiron, on the other hand, looked very uneasy.

"So, that's why you were acting so strange when I was driving," Thalia said, referring to Grover. He nodded. We sat in uncomfortable silence after, waiting for someone to speak up.

I gazed at Chiron who leaned in forward and laced his fingers on the table. His face was blank and his eyes that were full of answers looked like a mist. Somehow I knew the truth was somewhere in them, but it was being covered by a thick fog. I waited for him to speak up, but it looked like he wasn't about to talk for a millennia.

"Has... has this ever happened before?" I asked him nervously. He nodded slightly, his face still expressionless. He then started to tell us stories of heroes and campers that have been given visions before, but most of them either died from fear and horror, or turned insane. The few that did survive faced their fates according to the visions they saw, either good or bad. He explained that the visions weren't always about the one who sees the vision, but there is always a connection, just like my visions were somehow connected to the ones Rachel and Nico saw.

"And just like how prophecies have double meanings, the things you see in visions are not always what they seem," he finished, trying to assure me but it sounded more like he was convincing himself. He just said that the visions came true every single time. There's no escaping it.

"Percy-" Grover started. I knew he was just trying to comfort me. He understood how I felt that moment. But I cut him off.

"I think we better get moving," I said coldly. They all just looked at me with concern and a little bit of pity. I tried to open my mouth to speak, but instead it came out as a yawn.

Chiron gave a weak smile. "You should stay and rest for the mean time. I'll have Argus take you to the city later."

I wanted to protest, but I felt my body weaken. My invulnerability was draining me again, and my lack of sleep wasn't really helping. We ended the short meeting and went off to different directions. Grover headed to the woods to check on Juniper. I went to my cabin to take a quick nap, and so did Thalia and Nico.

As I entered my cabin, I was expecting Alex to be sprawled on his bed. But to my surprise, he wasn't there. He's bed was in a mess which meant he was just here moments ago. My mind was telling me to look for him, but my knees started to buckle. I quickly made my way to my bed, and as soon as I laid down, I fell asleep. My quick nap wasn't worth the nightmare I was about to have.

I was in an endless ridge of shadows. At first, it was just complete darkness. I started to walk in a random direction and things started to magnify. I instantly knew where I was._ The Underworld_. But I was in an area that I haven't been before. Nothing was in sight, not even the tall walls of Erebos. I was in the middle of a huge desert of black soil.

It felt like I've been walking for hours of nothingness. I just wanted to wake myself up and end this boring dream. For the first time, I actually felt like I wanted a nightmare rather than having this kind of dream. But soon enough, I regretted having such thoughts.

As I kept walking, something came into view. The horizon started to glow a faint color of orange and yellow. As I got closer, I realized that it was a long line of fire. It looked like one of those wildfires you usually see in Oregon or California. And as I drew nearer, it wasn't just any fire. It was a river of fire. Literally.

It wasn't a river of magma, but it was really a river. A river with water that was flowing slowly downstream, following a certain path. The boiling water was bubbling, making popping sounds. I could sense if the river was mixed with oil, but it was not. For some strange reason, the unquenchable fire was burning endlessly on the surface of the water. I was only a few more feet away, and if it wasn't for my bathe on the river Styx, I should've been burnt and turned into _Percy a la crisp_ by now.

As I approached the river, I felt the mix of intense emotions coming from the river spirit. It was full of passion and desire. I soon realized that it was the river Phlegethon. I remembered the story of the river god Phlegethon and his lover, Styx. He tried to be with her but she was consumed by his flames. This caused Styx to send him to the Underworld, and he desired nothing more to be with her again. Eventually, Zeus accepted Styx's river to flow through the Underworld, and the rivers met somewhere at the center of the Underworld.

I decided to follow the path of fire, thinking that I would probably at least find a better place than this barren land. But before I could, I noticed a figure opposite me across the river. I tried to focus my vision to see who it was, but all I could see was his silhouette. He had one foot on another silhouette which I figured to be a body. His giant spear that he held with his right hand was brandished at the stomach of the other figure. He started to laugh with a booming voice, and I knew I've heard that before.

I tried to focus even more, but the flames started to grow bigger and sway wildly. I then heard the shouts of other voices, but I was too busy watching the fire consume me.

"Percy!"

My eyes shot open and I quickly sat up, sweating profusely. The voice sounded like it came from my dream, but I realized it was just Alex, waking me up. He was standing next to the bed. He looked at me with puzzled eyes, his face full of concern.

I inhaled a big amount of air before speaking. "I'm fine. Just a nightmare," I smiled. He studied me for awhile before nodding. "So, where've you been? When I got here, you were already out," I asked as I moved to sit on the edge of the bed.

His concerned face suddenly changed into a cheerful one as he talked about how Blackjack woke him up earlier because of a group of Hippocampi requested for help. There was a pair of fishes trapped with a group of sharks in the middle of a minefield. Where did I hear that before?

Then he told me about how he carefully controlled the current to slowly move the mines out of the way for the fishes and sharks to get out. As he continued talking, I started to feel like I wanted to scold him. Unlike me, he could've been blasted into fish food! _Wow. When did I start acting like my mom._

Then, I realized what I've been doing before and how I made my mother feel as I went on dangerous quests. I ignored my thoughts and smiled at Alex, congratulating him for a job well done instead.

"Is Annabeth back?" he asked delightfully. The mention of her name made my heart twist into a knot. I slowly shook my head in response.

"Oh," he said as his face fell. "What-what happened?" The way he asked sounded like he thought Annabeth was... gone.

"We just came back to talk to Chiron. We'll be leaving again later," I answered. His face changed into something happy but sad, if that even makes any sense. He was about to speak but the conch horn sounded. It was time for breakfast. I stood up and noticed that Alex's bed was already neat. I fixed my own, not wanting to leave him with a very disordered cabin during inspection.

"Come on," I said after, motioning him to follow. As we got out of the cabin, there a satyr humming and tapping his hoof while eating a tin can a few feet away. It was Gleeson, and I figured he was waiting for Alex.

"Oh, hey, Percy," he said, nodding slightly. "If you're looking for Grover, he's with Juniper by Zeus' fist."

"Thanks," I smiled. I let them go ahead since I'll be with them at the same table anyway. I stood there for a moment, inhaling the fresh morning air. My nightmare suddenly came back to me. Images of the two figures across the river of fire. Me being engulfed in flames. The voices I heard that I somewhat recognized. And that laugh, I know I've heard it before.

I was deep in my thoughts, but I got distracted when two campers passed by talking about gossip. I usually ignored those kinds of stuff, but I couldn't help but listen when I realized they were talking about a prank pulled on the Aphrodite cabin.

"Did you hear what happened to the Aphrodite cabin?" one of them asked. She had that distinct baby face that can only be seen on campers from a certain cabin. I figured she was a child of Hebe.

"No. What?" another asked. I've gotten used to that look that can only mean she's from the Apollo cabin.

"The Hecate cabin changed all their designer perfumes with transformation potions. They all look like the ugly duckling!"

They started to laugh, and I laughed silently to myself as they walked away. The Aphrodite cabin must be freaking out right now. At least they still looked like something related to their mother. I didn't mean Aphrodite was ugly. What I mean is you know, because the ugly duckling turned out to be a swan. And the swan is one of the symbols of Aphrodite. You don't get it? Never mind.

"Why are you laughing?"

I turned around to see Thalia slowly walking towards me. I waited for her to catch up before heading towards the pavilion.

"Did you hear about the Aphrodite cabin?" I asked. She nodded and started to laugh.

"Yeah. They're all like '_Oh, my gods! I have a beak!'_" Thalia said as we cracked up. "Serves them right."

"You still have that Hunter-Aphrodite feud, huh?"

"Yup. Never gets old," she smirked.

"Give it back!" someone shouted coming from behind us. We turned around to see Travis and Connor running and laughing. Behind them was Katie, struggling to chase them.

"Hey, guys," they greeted in unison. They grinned as they ran pass us, heading towards the mess hall. Katie stopped beside us, resting her hands on her knees as she tried to catch her breath.

"Hi," she greeted, forcing a wave from her hand that was clutching her tired knees.

"Hey. What's going on?" I asked.

"Oh, you know. Travis and Connor just took another pile of special seeds from me. The usual," she smiled as she tried to stand straight.

"They got away again, didn't they?" Will asked Katie as he, along with Jake, approached. Katie sighed and nodded.

"I told you the traps would help," Jake put in.

"For _ten_ drachmas? Uh, no thanks," she answered.

Jake shrugged and turned to us. "'Sup, guys. How's the quest going?"

"Other than almost being turned into dog food, it's been pretty good," Thalia said. We laughed and started to go to the pavilion together, but I noticed at the corner of my eye someone running.

"I'll see you guys later," I said as I stopped on my tracks. Thalia turned to see why. She nodded when she saw Malcolm coming towards me. She mouthed the words _We'll talk later_. I nodded and faced Malcolm.

"Hey, Percy. So, uh, any news about Annabeth?" he asked. I shook my head in response. "Oh," he said with disappointment.

"Well, the quest wasn't that bad since your mother has been helping us. And even though we didn't find any leads, we did get a prophecy."

He studied me carefully as his mind worked. "You went to _see_ Rachel?" he asked but it sounded more like he was accusing me.

I rubbed the back of my neck subconsciously. "It's kind of a long story," I answered. He glared at me but I decided to ignore it. "Anyway, from the way it sounds, we're going to be successful in getting Annabeth back. We just need to figure out how."

He kept on glaring at me. I wanted to tell him that it wasn't my fault we ended up in Rachel's place, and she's the Oracle! I mean, if he's thinking I was _cheating_ on Annabeth. I was about to tell him that I'd never do something like that, but as if he was reading my mind, the look on his face softened.

"I guess that's good news. The cabin is still a little freaked out and I don't know what to do," he forced a smile. "And speaking of the cabin, I need to check on them. I'll see you around." He walked ahead and muttered something about not being responsible enough.

I trailed behind Malcolm, realizing I was the only one left standing near the cabins. As I reached the entrance of the mess hall, I noticed Thalia and Nico leaning against the marble columns of the pavilion. They were clearly arguing, _again_. As I came nearer, they noticed me approaching.

"Finally!" Thalia exclaimed.

"You've been waiting for me?" I asked.

She rolled her eyes. "You figured that on your own, Kelp Face?"

I decided to ignore her comment to avoid more arguing. "What is it?" I asked curiously. She glanced around first, making sure no one was near enough to hear whatever we were going to talk about.

"Tell me exactly what you saw in your visions," she whispered, but she said it like it was a matter of life and death. Turns out it was.

"Haven't you asked Nico?"

"He's not making any sense!" she said, throwing her hands in the air. Nico just scowled and stuck his tongue out.

"We already told you. We saw ourselves killing a bunch of monsters and... and me dying," I shuddered as I thought about the visions.

Her eyebrows scrunched as she studied me carefully before speaking. "Percy, come on. I'm _not_ Chiron."

"Why are you asking anyway?"

"Maybe we can do something to prevent it."

"What are you talking about? You know we can't fight against something like that."

"That's what I told her," Nico put in.

Thalia glared at him before turning back to me. "_Maybe_ we can. We can't fight against prophecies because we have no idea what we're up against and we only get hints. They don't even make any sense at times-" Thalia started but Nico cut her.

"Like you," he muttered. Thalia tried to stop her urge of smacking him at the back of his head, but it turns out she can't control herself. "Ow!"

"If you don't have anything sensible to say, just _shut up_, Corpse Head!" she glowered. Then she turned back to me. "As I was saying, we only understand prophecies when things finally unfold. But with visions, well, I just thought that if we found out what exactly will happen..." she trailed off.

"Maybe we can prevent it from happening," I gasped, finishing what was on her mind. She nodded. "So, we're like trying to find a loophole."

"Exactly," she smiled.

"So."

"_So_? Tell me already!"

"Oh, right. Well, it was dark, and... and I was sprawled on the ground bleeding to death."

She waited for me to continue before asking, "That's it?!" She stared at me, hoping that there was more. Sadly, that was it. I sighed and nodded. "Ugh!" she groaned in exasperation.

"I told you so," Nico said playfully, smirking. Thalia gritted her teeth.

"_Nico_..." she growled. Nico raised his hands in surrender but Thalia wasn't about to buy it. I decided to stop them before they ended up beating each other.

"Look. I appreciate what you guys are trying to do. But I think there's really no way out of this," I said flatly. They both looked at me sympathetically.

"Percy, maybe Rachel's right. If you come to think of it, you _did_ look a little older. Maybe it won't happen for a few more years. We can prepare ourselves," Nico stated. I didn't really notice that I looked older in the visions since I have no idea how I look at the present.

"I don't know," I said, looking away. "I think... I really think it's connected to the last line of the prophecy."

"Well, that's just what _you_ think. For the first time, it's a good thing you're a seaweed brain," Thalia chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. I forced a smile.

"We'll figure things out. For the mean time, I _really _want to go inside already. I can't stand the smell of the waffles," I said. They smiled and nodded. We entered the mess hall and sat at our respective tables. Alex and Gleeson were already seated at the Poseidon table, devouring the waffles. I grabbed my plate and went to the fire in the center of the hall. I scraped a few waffles and thanked the gods for helping us with the quest.

Breakfast was pretty low-key. Everyone talked about their own agendas. The only highlight was the Aphrodite ducklings quacked loudly as they chased the Hecate campers around the pavilion, causing everyone to erupt in laughter. They must be shouting something like "Change us back!" and "We can't brush our feathers!"

Mr. D was still in a very good mood, so he ignored all the commotion. He was happily biting cookie after cookie. I noted to pester Chiron later on exactly how he got Mr. D in such a trance.

The number of campers in the mess hall slowly trickled down as they went on their morning activities. Alex and Gleeson stayed for awhile, telling me what they've been up to lately. But later on, they left me alone. They mentioned something about messing with the campers that were trying to beat their current record for the climbing wall.

_"Hey." Annabeth slid next to me on the bench. "Happy Birthday."_

_I stared at her. She was holding a huge misshapen cupcake with blue icing. "What?"_

_"It's August 18th. Your birthday, right? Make a wish," she said._

_"Did you bake this yourself?" I asked._

_"Tyson helped."_

_"That explains why it looks like a chocolate brick. With extra blue cement."_

_She laughed as I made a wish and blew the candle. We cut the cupcake in half and shared, eating with our fingers. We silently watched the ocean in the horizon._

"Percy," Grover said, waving his hand in front of me. He was seated next to me.

"Oh, hey G-man. Didn't see you there," I said stupidly.

"That's because you were busily daydreaming again," he grinned teasingly. I just shot him a look, but I smiled back.

"How did things go with Juniper?" I asked.

"Oh, you know. We just did some... catching up," he said, blushing when he finished. Go figure.

I didn't want to find out what he meant by _catching up_, but somehow, my curiosity took over me. I was about to ask him unwillingly. Thankfully, Nico and Thalia, along with Chiron, came and interrupted.

"Percy, Argus is waiting by the hill. You can leave anytime you're ready.," Chiron stated.

I looked at the others. They all smiled and nodded at the same time like it was rehearsed. I couldn't be more grateful for having such great friends. Not to mention their amazing powers that really comes in handy every single time. And I couldn't ask for more. I smiled back and nodded.

"Let's go."

* * *

**AN:** There you go! Another chappy. I'll try to update again soon. But it will probably take awhile since my parents are coming to the city.

Anyway, did you guys catch the Finding Nemo part there? No? Too bad. :D

One more thing I would like to say, just as I did with my other stories, that all of the stories I write are connected. I'm not telling you to read them, but it would be nice if you did. And also review. :D But my point is, I mention a few things in my other stories that add a few points to this story and insights on the plot.

That's it. You all know the drill. Review!


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